


Cherry and the Secret of NIMH

by PerkyGoth14



Category: The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-06-29 21:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19839268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: After getting sucked into a new book, Cherry and her friends end up in a brand new adventure which takes them into a forest to meet a shy, though kind widowed mouse by the name of Mrs. Brisby who needs to help cure her son who is deathly sick from illness, but even more adventures come to them while spending time with the poor mouse family who worry of Moving Day.





	1. Chapter 1

The adventure group had been sent to their next adventure, but while they were going there, two adult magical beings were on their own way, but they soon ran into each other as they were floating down, looking casual despite being flying through the air.

"Oh, Drell, you look well~" Della smirked a bit.

"Hi, Della." Drell replied flatly.

"What brings you here?~" Della smirked.

Drell rolled his eyes. "I'm going to help MY students with your evil plot."

"An evil plot? Me?" Della gasped. "Oh, Drell, that hurts! I just wanna befriend the cute little darlings."

"Uh-huh, and this doesn't have anything to do with their magic or their life force?" Drell glared.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Della smiled innocently. "I would never do anything like that. There's no need for jealousy~" she then pinched his cheek a bit. "I was even asked to be their mentor until you stepped in against Enchantra."

Drell slapped her hand away in annoyance.

"The children will love me..." Della beamed. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Once they find out you're evil, they won't love you; they'll just see right through your innocent act," Drell glared. "How did you even meet Cherry?"

"Oh, we were at the spa..." Della smiled innocently. "Poor dear was so stressed out. She said you were such a tough teacher and you often made her life, as she puts it, a living nightmare."

"I'm just trying to get her to stand up for herself and not always rely on Atticus." Drell told her.

"So you say..." Della smirked.

"Della, if I wasn't a gentleman, I'd turn you into a cat right now!" Drell glared at him. "Don't think I won't do it! I have authority to do so with my high status!"

"Oh, you wouldn't dare." Della said.

"Wanna tempt me?" Drell glared.

Della just smirked to him.

Eventually, the two landed, Della put herself in a comfortable looking throne to land in while Drell landed on his feet, bending a bit with a small groan.

"I'm not as young as I used to be." Drell sighed to himself from his landing.

"Ah, what a soft landing." Della smirked as she sat on her throne.

Drell growled a bit to her.

Della soon used her magic, making herself a mouse while making him a rat. "Oops... I guess that didn't go fully as planned." she then smirked slightly as he was now a rat.

"You did that on purpose!" Drell told her.

"Did not." Della smirked.

"Did too!" Drell glared before looking around. "Oh, where did those kids get to?"

"Oh... They must be with Mrs. Brisby." Della guessed as she filed her nails with her wand.

"And how would you know that?" Drell asked.

"I'm guessing." Della smirked.

"DELLA!" Drell glared.

"Drell." Della smirked.

Drell simply groaned as this was getting him nowhere. Della smirked to him.

"You're up to something with those kids, I know you are," Drell glared. "You're just buttering them up so that you can trick them. You're worse than Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra combined."

"Oh, Drell, you wound me." Della pouted before smirking.

"Grr..." Drell growled as he stormed off.

There was soon a mysterious voice speaking as the adventure then began. "Jonathan Brisby was killed today while helping with the Plan. It is four years since our departure from NIMH, and our world is changing. We cannot stay here much longer. Jonathan was a dear friend. I am lost, knowing how to help his widow. She knows nothing of us, or the Plan. Perhaps best that I do nothing at present. I shall miss him. Jonathan, wherever you are, your thoughts must comfort her tonight. She'll be waiting, and you will not return. Farewell... My friend."

The group seemed to wake up in the middle of what seemed like a farm, though it was a lot bigger than they were since they were now mice, even Patch, as they were all wrapped up in a blanket.

"Where are we?" Patch asked.

"I don't know, but I feel tiny." Cherry replied.

Atticus and Mo soon came out with Cherry and Patch and they all looked around each other to see that they were mice.

"We're mice!" Atticus realized.

"But why?" Mo asked.

"I don't know..." Patch replied.

"Again?" Cherry asked as she looked at her mouse form. "Ah, well. I guess."

"Mr. Ages?" A voice soon called out. "Mr. Ages, is anybody home?"

"We better find out who that is." Atticus said.

The four soon got out of the blanket and wandered a bit as they were inside of a farm as a brown female mouse was on her way inside, wearing some sort of red cape.

"Go away!" Another voice soon called out.

"Mr. Ages?" The female mouse continued to call until she saw the group. "Oh, you're not Mr. Ages."

"I'm Atticus, and this is my girlfriend, Mo, and this is her cousin and my best friend, Cherry, and the mouse next to her is my, uh, brother Patch." Atticus introduced.

"You seem to be far from home." The female mouse said.

"You don't know the half of it." Cherry mumbled to herself.

"And you are, uh, Miss?" Atticus asked the female mouse.

"Oh, I'm sorry," The female mouse replied. "My name is Elizabeth Brisby, but of course you may call me 'Mrs. Brisby', but don't you forget the 'Mrs'."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Brisby." Atticus smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too, children... You must be so scared.." Mrs. Brisby said to them.

"A little bit..." Cherry replied.

"What is it?" The voice soon called out.

"That's Mr. Ages," Mrs. Brisby told them before going to follow the voice. "Mr. Ages, may I please speak with you?

"What?" The voice asked.

"I said, may I please speak-" Mrs. Brisby tried to explain to the man she came to see as he came out of what looked like some sort of machine, showing an older male mouse who seemed a little cranky. "With you? Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad you're home!"

'She seems worried about something or someone.' Atticus thought to himself.

"Erm... Hello, sir." Mo smiled sheepishly to the older mouse.

"I'm fine!" Mr. Ages continued to cough as he grumbled to himself. "Confounded machine! You never know when it's going to up and blow!"

"Yes... I don't suppose you would remember me..." Mrs. Brisby said to him, a bit nervously.

"Yes, you're Mrs. Brisby," Mr. Ages replied before he went to go back into his machine. "And I am sorry about your husband's death. Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Mr. Ages!" Atticus called out.

"S-Sir?! Come back here!" Cherry added.

"Mr. Ages!" Mrs. Brisby cried out.

"Great Jupiter, woman, what do you want?" Mr. Ages soon asked Mrs. Brisby, now coming up behind her.

"Mr. Ages, I know you don't like visitors, but this is an emergency! Please!" Mrs. Brisby begged.

Suddenly, an explosion shook the machine which knocked Mr. Ages down.

"I'm not sure if I wanna know what that sound was." Cherry shivered.

"Maybe it's the engine." Patch said.

Mrs. Brisby raced after Mr. Ages and peered over the shaft's edge as the older mouse was lying in a basket suspended by a rope.

"Madam, that is an emergency." Mr. Ages told the female mouse before pulling on the rope, sending the basket to rise up to the top of the shaft where Mrs. Brisby and the adventure group waited.

"Oh, Mr. Ages, my son Timothy is so sick!" Mrs. Brisby frowned.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Cherry shrugged. "I mean, it's probably just a cold or a flu, right?"

"No, it's a little more severe than that." Mrs. Brisby frowned.

"What are his symptoms?" Atticus asked.

"Timmy? The one with the spider bite?" Mr. Ages then replied to Mrs. Brisby. "Oh, just give him some pepsissiwa root, and-"

"No! No!" Mrs. Brisby cried out, grabbing him by his shirt and shaking him. "No, he's sick with a fever!"

"A fever?" Mo frowned.

"Well... I suppose I could fix up something..." Mr. Ages then said to the widowed mouse.

"Mind if we come with?" Patch asked.

"All right... Follow me..." Mr. Ages replied before looking sharply to them. "But don't touch anything! Understand?"

"We understand." Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch replied while Mrs. Brisby nodded.

Mr. Ages took them into the basket and soon pulled on the rope to take them into the shaft. "I'm not sure where you children came from, but you are very lucky that you didn't run into Dragon." he then told the four strangers.

"Dragon?" Atticus asked out of confusion.

"Let's hope you never meet him, but he is a fiendish, fearsome, and ferocious cat." Mr. Ages replied.

Mrs. Brisby looked very upset at the mention of Dragon.

"Are you okay, Mrs. Brisby?" Mo asked softly.

"Dragon... He... He..." Mrs. Brisby said, trying not to cry. "He did something that I can never forgive."

Patch and the others could already tell as Mr. Ages mentioned Mrs. Brisby's husband being dead. They decided not to talk about it.

"I found you all out in the middle of the ground outside," Mr. Ages told the adventure group. "I was hoping you all weren't dead, but I thought you could use a little comfort, so I thought I'd bring you in so you wouldn't get killed."

"Heh... Well, thank you, sir." Atticus replied.

"What were you all doing out there anyway?" Mr. Ages then asked.

"We're not sure... Um... One minute we were home, and we woke up in this place." Patch replied.

"Oh, don't tell me you're homeless." Mrs. Brisby frowned.

Atticus and the others knew that if they told Mrs. Brisby and Mr. Ages the truth, they'd think they were crazy.

"We're not sure where our family is... Do you think we could stay with you for a little while?" Patch asked Mrs. Brisby.

"Oh, um... Maybe..." Mrs. Brisby replied. "I-I'd have to check."

"Sure, we'll stay a bit," Mo smiled softly. "We'll help you with your son."

"Oh, bless your heart..." Mrs. Brisby cooed from that.

"So about your son's symptoms?" Atticus asked her.

"Yes... How high is his fever?" Mr. Ages soon asked.

"He's burning hot to the touch." Mrs. Brisby began to list.

"Hmm... Yes." Mr. Ages replied.

"He's soaking wet with perspiration." Mrs. Brisby continued.

"Gosh." Cherry grimaced.

"And there's a raspy sound when he breathes." Mrs. Brisby then said.

"Oh, dear..." Mo frowned.

"Mr. Ages, are you thinking what I'm thinking right now?" Atticus frowned at the older mouse.

"Depends, are you thinking about work that needs to be done?" Mr. Ages replied.

"Yes, but also about her son having pneumonia." Atticus whispered to him.

"Ah, yes! Unless... I have to check..." Mr. Ages replied before facing Mrs. Brisby. "Does he have a chill?"

"Yes, he does." Mrs. Brisby nodded.

"Have you wrapped him in a blanket?" Atticus then asked.

"Yes." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"Now step inside, but keep your hands to yourself!" Mr. Ages then said, bringing them all inside a special spot. "I'm right in the middle of... Something very important."

"I understand." Mrs. Brisby said.

"Oh, do you?" Mr. Ages asked before taking them into a laboratory, but many of the items were human-sized before he went over to his work table. "Look at this mess... Oh, shoo, shoo, go on!" he then complained.

"You sure do have some unwanted buggy company." Patch told Mr. Ages.

"Oh, tell me about it," Mr. Ages replied as he tossed off a ladybug like a cat as he faced Mrs. Brisby. "Now, I'm afraid that boy, Atticus is it? Was right... Your son has pneumonia."

"Pneumonia?" Mrs. Brisby asked worriedly.

"It's not uncommon, but you can die from it." Mr. Ages replied as he mixed powders and herbs into a bowl, grinding them with a pestle.

"Oh, my..." Patch frowned.

"But there is a way to keep him from dying." Atticus said.

"Yes. Your son must stay in bed," Mr. Ages added with agreement. "Bundle him up."

"Yes." Mrs. Brisby nodded from that.

Mr. Ages pulled a string running over his head, and the bunsen burner turned to high, heating the fluid inside a large flask. A tube ran from the flask to just above their heads as the fluid expanded, forcing a single drop out of the tube before the older mouse soon caught it in his bowl. "Not to go outside..." he then advised the widowed mouse.

"But how long must-" Mrs. Bribsy began.

"Three weeks," Mr. Ages replied as he poured some mixes together. "He cannot be moved for at least three weeks."

"Three weeks of no playing... Poor kid..." Mo frowned for the young mouse even if she didn't know him.

"But moving day is almost here." Mrs. Brisby frowned.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Brisby, but your son must stay in bed for three weeks or else his condition could get worse," Atticus said. "He'll also need the proper medicine to bring down his fever."

"Yes, now, mix this powder in a broth and make him drink it," Mr. Ages added as he poured the contents of the bowl into an envelope before handed it to the widowed mouse. "It'll bring down the fever."

"Oh, bless you, sir!" Mrs. Brisby replied thankfully.

"And bless yourself, you'll need it," Mr. Ages told her before dismissing her. "Now, you must excuse me... You know the way out."

"We'll walk her out since we're going out the same way." Patch said.

Mr. Ages led them out to the door.

"I suppose you all can come with me if you have nowhere else to go," Mrs. Brisby said to the adventure group before looking to Mr. Ages. "Thank you once again-"

"Shoo, shoo, shoo," Mr. Ages urged them out the door. "Go on now. Go on."

"Thank you so-" Mrs. Brisby said before the door slammed shut in her face. "Much. Goodbye."

"He must be busy with something important." Mo said.

"I'm sorry about that, but don't mind him," Mrs. Brisby told them. "Mr. Ages is a mostly private man."

"At least he found you a way to cure your son." Atticus smiled.

"That, he did," Mrs. Brisby smiled back as she held the envelope close. "Come with me. You can stay with me since you don't have anywhere to go."

"Thank you, Mrs. Brisby." The group replied, very gratefully.

As they began to make their way to Mrs. Brisby's place, they ended up in a deep forest.

"This is beyond freaky..." Cherry muttered about the atmosphere. "I'm not sure if I like it here."

"Just follow me." Mrs. Brisby replied, leading them into a hollow log.

But as they were making their way through the hollow log... They soon heard some grunting and struggling.

"You okay, Cherry?" Patch asked. "I know it's a long way, but we gotta keep up."

"That wasn't me." Cherry replied.

They soon looked on the way out before finding a crow that was struggling and seemed to be tied with some red string.

"Why is that crow tied with some red string?" Mo asked.

"I don't know, but he looks like he could use a-Um... Paw." Atticus suggested.

Mrs. Brisby brought them out one hole in the log and came to see the stringy mess as the crow was trapped. "Is everything all right here?" she then smiled patiently to the trapped bird.

"What the-?!" The crow yelped before seeing the mice. "Oh! Lady, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Do you need some help?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, uh, it's okay, heh, I'm just working out." The crow smiled sheepishly.

"Right... I forgot about the old 'Tangled-Up Mess' warm-up." Atticus smirked.

"Er, yeah, I guess that's enough exercise for one day," The crow said sheepishly before pulling himself up to the top of the log and sat down. "Besides, I'm really after this terrific string! I'm working on a love nest for two. You know what I mean?"

"Ohh, you're looking for a girl." Mo smiled.

"Well, not really, I mean... I haven't found Miss Right yet, but when I do, the whole world will hear us singing..." The crow sighed before he soon began to sing, but he leaned back too far which made him lose his balance and fall off of the log.

"Oh! Mr. Crow!" Patch cried out.

The crow soon came back out the water, dripping wet as he had landed with a splash. "Excuse me, pardon me."

"Well, you keep making all that noise and Dragon will hear you," Mrs. Brisby warned the crow. "If he hasn't already."

"Let's hope he hasn't heard him." Mo said as she bit down on one of parts of the string.

"Wouldn't you sing too? I mean, if you felt... If you felt the call of the wild, but-" The crow chuckled sheepishly.

"I would-" Mrs. Brisby said before lowering her voice as she helped Mo. "I would not, if I knew there was a cat nearby."

"But... But SHE'S out there... Somewhere," The crow replied. "And when I find her I'll feel it, way down in my wishbone! I-What cat?" he then asked.

"Dragon!" Mrs. Brisby replied. "He belongs to Farmer Fitzgibbons. Look towards the house. See if you can see him."

The crow spread his wings and flew up while the others came to see while Mrs. Brisby, holding onto the strings entangling the crow, was pulled along after him. She swung at the end of the string down at the bottom of the branch.

"Come back down here!" Mo told the crow, pulling on the strings with Mrs. Brisby. "He'll see you for sure up there!"

"Hey, there's a cat out there!" The crow noticed.

"Can he see you?" Atticus asked him.

"No," The crow replied before pausing. "Yes!"

"Stand perfectly still." Mrs. Brisby warned.

"Everything's fine," The crow said at first. "He's headed right for us."

"Don't panic!" Patch then said. "Fast or slow?"

"Medium. Make that fast. Very f-" The crow replied before panicking as he tried to flap away, but was getting more and more tangled with the string. "I have to go now! Excuse me, I really-!"

"Would you stop?" Atticus asked the crow.

Mrs. Brisby and Mo were caught up in the flailing string, and ended up swinging upside down by one foot.

Finally, the crow pulled with all his might. "Break!"

Mrs. Brisby jumped up and bit through the cord he was straining against, and he went flying backward, nearly falling over the edge of the log again, then pulled himself up. "Are you alright, dear?" she then asked Mo.

"Yes, ma'am, I think so." Mo replied.

"I hear something in the log." Patch said.

"Oh, my goodness." The crow said.

"Shh!" Cherry told him as she felt a little nervous.

The crow then screamed and tried to take off again, but was pulled up short by the string. He fell back down and ended up swinging in front of the entrance to the log, barely missing a rabbit that ran out of the opening.

"It's a rabbit!" Cherry then said in relief.

"I thought that hopping sound was familiar." Patch smiled.

The crow soon laughed a bit as he realized he was worried over nothing.

"Well of all the silly nincompoops!" Mrs. Brisby soon laughed to the crow. "You got yourself all worked up over a rabbit!" she then bit through the string, holding up the male crow which made him fall to the bottom of the log.

"You should've seen yourself!" The crow soon laughed.

"Will you keep quiet?" Mrs. Brisby then asked warily.

"You were scared stiff!" The crow continued to laugh. "A rabbit! I knew it all along!"

"Oh, sure you did." Atticus smirked.

Unseen by the others, a certain cat was creeping up to the log.

"Will you hush up?" Mrs. Brisby warned the crow.

"Admit it!" The crow teased the mice. "You were scared!"

"Oh, fiddlesticks. Hold still." Mrs. Brisby told him.

"If I had actually been near a cat, I'd be sneezing my brains out," The crow replied. "See, I'm allergic to ca-... I'm allergic to caaaaa-... I'm allergic to-" he then breathed, unable to finish before he suddenly sneezed on someone's face. "ACHOO! Excuse me, pardon me."

"Uh-oh..." The adventure group gulped.

The cat was soon shown and roared at them like an actual dragon would from his namesake. The crow soon panicked and tried to take off, but was brought up short for the string.

"Careful, children!" Mrs. Brisby gasped to the adventure group.

Atticus soon bit down on the string to free the crow so then he wouldn't get caught and possibly eaten by Dragon.

"I never thought I'd need to be afraid of a cat." Patch said nervously.

The crow soon flew off, leaving Atticus alone with Dragon as the cat came to him.

"Atticus!" Mo yelped.

Atticus soon punched Dragon with his full strength. Mrs. Brisby looked very shocked and overwhelmed.

"Bad kitty!" Atticus glared.

"Did... Did he just...?" Mrs. Brisby muttered.

"Yes, ma'am, it's a long story." Cherry told the widowed mouse.

Dragon looked surprised before growling as it looked ready to eat him even after getting punched.

"Oh, you want more, huh? Come here!" Atticus glared.

Dragon then charged towards Atticus. Atticus then took that time to hop up in the air before landing on Dragon's back, gripping the cat's scruff to ride him like a wild bull.

"That boy can be crazy sometimes." Cherry muttered.

Mrs. Brisby didn't dare to watch as Atticus began to take down Dragon with all of his might.

"Uh, Mrs. Brisby, you are holding on tightly to Timmy's medicine, right?" Mo asked.

"Yes, it's right here." Mrs. Brisby replied, showing the envelope.

"Um... Maybe we can use the string to help?" Cherry suggested, sounding slightly anxious.

"How?" Patch asked.

"Erm... Uh..." Cherry stammered, almost like she was close to having a mental breakdown.

Dragon soon came through the log while trying to force Atticus off of his back as Mrs. Brisby gasped and seemed to drop the medicine for her severally sick son.

"Don't worry, we'll get you're son's medicine." Patch said.

"Please, he needs it ever so much right now." Mrs. Brisby nodded.

"Sorry about that, guys!" Atticus called out as he continued to ride on Dragon's back.

"We'll get the medicine!" Patch told him.

Mrs. Brisby looked very scared and worried because without that medicine, her son could die. She and the others soon ran for the medicine, then doubled back, ducking under Dragon as he pounced, smashing against the dead branches.

"I don't think so, Fluffy!" Atticus glared as he handled Dragon.

Cherry soon went to reach for the medicine, but the cat soon roared at her which startled her before she soon ended up in the water and despite not knowing how to swim very well, tried to do so.

"Cherry!" Mo yelped.

Cherry soon saw the string and grabbed it, getting pulled up into the branches of a tree. The string tangled in the branches, and she was knocked loose.

"Cherry, are you okay?!" Atticus called out, trying to keep Dragon from leaping up in the tree after his best friend.

"Define okay!" Cherry rolled her eyes.

"I'll take that as a no!" Atticus replied.

Dragon soon came right for Cherry once he saw her, making her run as fast as her feet would carry her as a mouse.

"I hate this so much!" Cherry complained.

"I'll get him, Cherry, don't worry!" Atticus told her.

"You're a little late for that!" Cherry replied.

Dragon soon continued to jump and leap while trying to also buck off Atticus like a rowdy horse.

"He sure is brave." Mrs. Brisby said.

"Atticus is the smartest and bravest boy I know." Mo smiled bashfully.

"Reminds me of my Jonathan." Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile back.

Atticus saw a waterfall and knew how to take down this cat. Cherry soon rushed back over to Mrs. Brisby and the others.

"Good, she made it out," Atticus whispered to himself in relief of Cherry's safety before glaring at Dragon. "Time to put Kitty down for a watery cat nap!"

Dragon seemed to growl a bit.

"Come and get me!" Atticus smirked as he climbed onto a branch over the waterfall.

Dragon began to chase after him. Atticus made faces almost like Fievel against Tiger's bad cat friends. Dragon hissed as he came closer and closer to Atticus, though the branch began to creak a bit from the cat's weight.

"Uh-oh..." Mrs. Brisby frowned.

Dragon crept closer and closer, about to swat at Atticus with his paw, though the branch snapped. Atticus then went to jump out of the way in time as Dragon began to fall with the branch to go down the waterfall.

"Wahoo!" Patch cheered.

"Nice going, Atticus!" Mo beamed.

"I did what I could." Atticus smiled.

The water was not deep, but Dragon hit the bottom hard, and decided he had enough and went back home, leaving them to live another day.

Atticus soon ended up going up a waterwheel which took him to a mill as he looked around for Mrs. Brisby's envelope as she seemed to had dropped it. "Now... Where is it?" he asked himself.

The others waited in the mill, though Mrs. Brisby was crying because she lost her sick son's medicine.

"Hey, Miss Mouse, don't worry, I'm okay," The crow told the widowed mouse before whistling to prove it. "See? I'm alright."

"That's not the reason I'm crying," Mrs. Brisby told him. "I lost Timmy's medicine."

"Aw, don't cry. I hate to see a woman cry," The crow cooed before perking up. "Hey! Was that kid great or was he great? Did you see that cat out there? All dripping, a-and wet... With water..." his voice then trailed off a bit as Cherry glared while she, Mo, and Patch tried to comfort Mrs. Brisby.

Atticus soon came in, looking sad in defeat.

"Atticus?" Cherry asked. "Did you...?"

"I couldn't find it... I'm so sorry, Mrs. Brisby." Atticus frowned, he hated that to be true, but it would've been better than lying.

"Oh, my Heavens!" Mrs. Brisby soon cried again.

"Wait, you mean this?" The crow as he showed the envelope that held Timmy's medicine.

Mrs. Brisby gasped happily as she took the envelope with glee.

"Nobody messes with ol' Jeremy, boy," The crow then said proudly. "Nobody!"

"That's it! Timmy's medicine!" Mrs. Brisby beamed. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Huh? It, I-what? It is? I mean, it is," The crow then said bashfully before he soon remembered his manners. "Well, I saw it lying there, and I said, uh-My name is Jeremy."

"I'm Mrs. Brisby. Thanks again!" Mrs. Brisby replied. "I have to go home now."

"I'm Atticus, this is my girlfriend, Mo and her cousin and my best friend, Cherry and my brother Patch." Atticus told Jeremy before leaving with Mrs. Brisby.

"Oh, good to meet you all," Jeremy said to them as they all became friends. "Uh, where's home?"

"In the garden patch by the stone." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"Well, do you like me?" Jeremy soon asked.

"Of course we like you! Bye now." Mrs. Brisby replied before tugging on a rope to be sure it was secure, then slid down it into an old lobster trap lying on the ground with the group.

"No! I mean... I mean, um... I mean, you don't think I'm clumsy or anything?" Jeremy asked before losing his balance and fell through the hole that the mice had just descended through into the trap, but then got tangled in the old netting. "Oh... Sorry. Excuse me, pardon me."

"And Drell calls ME clumsy." Cherry huffed.

"You're very nice." Mo told Jeremy.

"Oh. Well, if you're going to feather a nest, you've got a lot to learn about how to treat a lady!" Mrs. Brisby advised the crow.

"Right. When you're right, you're right. And you're right," Jeremy replied. "None of the girls I meet want to get serious!"

"I doubt they'd survive." Cherry muttered sarcastically.

"Maybe it's my approach," Jeremy said before looking to Mrs. Brisby. "Say! You were a girl once! You could teach me how to... You know, how to-"

"Behave yourself?" Mrs. Brisby guessed.

"I'm not that bad! I just need a few pointers to polish my style." Jeremy replied before he struck a pose and fell flat on his face.

Patch chuckled, unable to laugh to that, but not in a bullying way.

"Jeremy, we have to go." Atticus said.

"He's right," Mrs. Brisby added. "I have to go home."

Jeremy followed Mrs. Brisby and the others out of the mill, trying to shake a piece of netting off his foot. "Well, let me-Let me fly you home!" he then suggested. "We can talk on the way!"

"Oh, no thank you," Mrs. Brisby replied. "I'm afraid of heights."

"Okay, then we'll walk." Jeremy suggested.

"Bye, now," Mrs. Brisby said, crossing to the other side of the millpond, leaping nimbly on one lily pad to the others. "Children, stay close to me."

The group nodded as they followed her home since they had nowhere else to go. Jeremy began to follow after them.

"Jeremy..." Cherry groaned to the accident prone crow.

Jeremy followed, but the lily pads couldn't support his weight as easily, and he splashed across noisily. "I think I got real potential," he then said. "I mean, girls go for the athletic type, don't they?"

"Jeremy, you're stepping on my tail." Mrs. Brisby complained.

"Oh! Oh, yeah! Excuse me, pardon me..." Jeremy said nervously.

"Just be yourself." Mo said.

"That might cost him a bit." Patch sighed as they began to follow Mrs. Brisby home.

They continued to follow a bit.

"Oh, I hope the children will be alright until I get back." Mrs. Brisby said.

"How many children do you have?" Atticus asked.

"Let's see... Four," Mrs. Brisby replied. "Two sons and two daughters."

"They must be wonderful." Mo smiled.

"Oh, but they can be a pawful." Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile back.

"Um, if you want, I can babysit?" Mo offered. "I love babysitting my little brother back home."

"Oh, that's alright, I already have someone for that." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"Can't wait to meet him or her and your children." Atticus said.

Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile as she grew fond of the adventure group as she led them to her home.

"I can't help, but wonder... Where are Drell and Aunt Della?" Patch commented to the others.

"Don't know for Aunt Della and don't care for Drell." Cherry replied with a shrug.

"Aw, come on, Cherry; Drell cares about us." Atticus said.

Cherry just rolled her eyes.

"Thought Aunt Della is a lot of fun..." Atticus smiled.

"Yeah, I wish she were our guardian instead of Drell." Cherry smirked a bit.

The group soon continued to follow after Mrs. Brisby and as they passed by some bushes, Della was on her way out to follow them only to get pulled by her tail.

"They're MY students, Della..." Drell glared. "Enchantra trusted me, not you."

"Yes, but now that they're old enough; they can now decide who their teacher should be." Della smirked.

"As if they would pick you... I know what you're up to." Drell glared.

Della soon smacked his paw away with her tail and continued to follow after the adventure group. Drell simply glared before joining her.


	2. Chapter 2

Cherry walked with the others before looking around as she sensed something.

"Cherry Berry? Yoo-hoo!" Della soon called.

"Aunt Della!" Cherry called back, running over to her before hugging her. "Oh, I was so worried about you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear; I guess that book was more special than I thought." Della told her.

"Well, I think the worst is behind us right now," Cherry said to the adult witch. "Atticus helped us against a big bad cat by the name of Dragon."

"At least you're all safe," Della gave a small smile, gently petting her on the head. "Where are you all of to?"

"Mrs. Brisby said we could stay with her." Cherry smiled back.

"I think we're close." Mo told her cousin.

"Oh... Hi, Della." Atticus said, seeing the witch woman, but as a mouse.

"Hello, children, I missed you all so much," Della cooed. "Did my book send you on an adventure without asking? I'm so sorry."

"Eh, we're used to it by now." Cherry shrugged.

"I'm just glad that you're all okay." Della smiled sweetly.

"With Atticus here, how could we not?" Patch asked.

"Yes... You're all so very brave..." Della smiled to them. "I should probably come with you to Mrs. Brisby just to make sure you all get there okay."

"Well... It would be nice to have a little adult supervision..." Mo replied.

Drell peeked his head out from behind a tree as he glared toward Della as she sweet-talked his students. As they made their way inside, they saw something going on. Drell growled a bit as he went to follow after them.

"Stay close, children, you don't know this land that well." Della advised.

"What is this place anyway?" Cherry asked.

"Just be lucky it isn't Thorn Valley... I'll tell you later." Della replied.

"Maybe I should go look for Mom." A young male voice said.

"I don't think so, Martin." A young female voice replied.

"Those must be her children." Patch said.

"Ah, yes... I guess I took you to the shortcut and we beat Mrs. Brisby home." Della replied.

They soon came a bit closer as they saw three young mice together, two girls and a boy.

"Brisby! Briiiiiisby!" Another voice yelled out.

"Who's that then?" Atticus wondered.

"A babysitter?" Mo guessed.

"You are correct, dear." Della told her.

Mo gave a small beam from that.

"Oh! Auntie Shrew!" The girl mouse gasped.

"Oh, Auntie!" The other girl mouse added.

"Oh, no..." The boy mouse muttered.

"Brisby!" The voice continued to call out.

"She'll wake up Timothy!" The first girl mouse yelped.

"We better quiet down that shrew." Patch whispered to the others.

"Gladly." Cherry said as she seemed annoyed with Auntie Shrew already.

The young mice soon spotted the others.

"Trespassers!" Martin glared.

"Wait! Hang on, kid, we know your mom!" Cherry said.

"A likely story!" Martin glared threateningly.

"No, really!" Atticus told him,

"Uh-huh... How do we know to trust you?" Martin glared.

"Kid, please! Uh.. You must be Martin, right?" Cherry replied. "Erm... We know that your brother Timmy's very sick."

"Yeah, that's right." One of Martin's sisters replied.

"And your mother is coming with medicine for him." Atticus said.

Martin glanced at them and soon backed off.

"Um... Hello, there!" Mo smiled innocently. "You must be Martin."

"That's me," Martin replied, gesturing to the other young mice. "These are my sisters: Teresa and Cynthia."

"It's very nice to meet you, children." Della smiled.

"Who's this then?" Martin asked about Della.

"Aunt Del--Erm... Our new friend, Della..." Cherry replied. 

"Brisby!" Auntie Shrew's voice then called out again.

"She's not here!" Teresa soon called back.

"Brisby!" Auntie Shrew's voice continued anyway.

"Why is she always coming around here, poking her nose in where she's not wanted?" Martin complained.

"Martin." Teresa scolded her brother quietly.

"You must be the oldest..." Atticus guessed based on Martin's behavior.

"I'm man of the house." Martin replied sharply. He then stormed out of the main room into the bedroom, and swiped the cloth partition aside angrily. If there had been a door, he would had slammed it. 

Auntie Shrew soon came at the top of the stairs, showing to be an actual adult female shrew.

"Well, I see why they call her Auntie Shrew." Cherry remarked to herself.

Teresa met the adult female shrew and helped with her shawl.

"Thank you child," Auntie Shrew said to Teresa, dumping her large shawl on Teresa, almost burying the young mouse as she stared to go down the stairs. "I must speak with your mother."

Teresa shrugged, bundling up the shawl as best she could, and followed down the stairs after her.

"Your Auntie is exhausted!" Auntie Shrek groaned to herself as she continued to call out for the widowed mouse as the others followed after her. "Why me? That I alone should be responsible for the welfare of the entire field is monstrous! Brisby!"

"I'm afraid she isn't here." Della told her.

"Mm-mm." Teresa added, shaking her head.

"Auntie Shrew, Timmy's sick!" Cynthia spoke up, tugging on the shrew.

"Cynthia dearest, don't pull me," Auntie Shrew replied before looking overwhelmed. "She's not here? She left you children alone then?"

"I'm old enough." Martin huffed from the bedroom.

"Rats in the field up to Heaven know what sort of mischief," Auntie Shrew muttered. "Cynthia dear, don't fidget! You're so like your mother!"

"I ain't scared of nuthin!" Martin huffed.

"Ma'am, Timmy is sick," Atticus told her. "So she went to Mr. Ages to get him some medicine."

"To Ages? That old flim-flam!" Auntie Shrew huffed. "Whatever for?

"Auntie Shrew, we just told you that Timmy's sick!" Cynthia replied. 

"Patience, my pet," Auntie Shrew told her before looking to Teresa. "Why to Ages?"

"Timmy is sick, are you deaf?!" Cherry snapped.

"Cherry..." Atticus sighed as that was a bit blunt and rude.

"Timmy ill? How dreadful!" Auntie Shrew then gasped. 

"I'm not afraid of the dark!" Martin glared, emerging from the bedroom as he swung a stick. "I'm not afraid of the farmer!"

"There's such a thing as bravery and just trying to be brave by looking for trouble." Cherry said.

"It doesn't mean you go out looking for trouble." Atticus advised, remembering what Mufasa taught Simba once.

"Atticus is right." Cherry added.

"I'm not even scared of Dragon," Martin continued anyway. "I'm not even afraid of... Of... Of the Great Owl!"

"Will you hush up?" Auntie Shrew scolded the young mouse.

"Aw, you hush up!" Martin retorted. 

"Martin Brisby!" Mo gasped sharply like a mother.

"Young mouse, you shouldn't talk that way to her." Della told him.

"You're not my mother!" Martin huffed.

"Precocious monster!" Auntie Shrew told him. 

"Bossing bullfrog!" Martin retorted.

"Spoiled brat!"

"Loudmouth!"

"Oh! Well! That will be quite enough, thank you!" Auntie Shrew snapped as she decided to leave then.

Teresa soon gave Auntie Shrew her scarf.

"Well, that never happens when I babysit..." Mo said before mumbling. "Though it's some things I've wanted to say to Aunt Sarah whenever she comes with those annoying cats."

Auntie Shrew headed for the exit, pausing halfway up the stairs. She didn't notice that her shawl has caught on a projection. "Cast not pearls before swine, I always say, and that includes impudent piglets! Good day!" she then said, heading up the stairs again, but was pulled up short and fell back down the stairs.

Teresa and Cynthia couldn't help but laugh at what happened to their babysitter. 

"Oh! You impertinent little--" Auntie Shrew snapped at the young mice.

"Here, let me help you up." Della told her.

Auntie Shrew looked to her and soon stood up with Della's help.

"Are you okay, dear?" Della smiled sweetly.

"Hmph... Hardly." Auntie Shrew grumbled.

"Martin!" Mrs. Brisby called out as she soon came home. "Auntie Shrew, what's going on?!"

"Indeed!" Auntie Shrew huffed as she then pushed past Mrs. Brisby.

"Mind telling her what's going on before storming out?" Della asked Auntie Shrew.

"Not for a king's ransom!" Auntie Shrew snapped about Martin's behavior. "I have just one thing to say: That child is a brat!"

"Yes, I will speak to him." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"I came here to inform you that the frost is off the ground and Moving Day is at hand," Auntie Shrew then told the widowed mouse before she continued to storm off. "Prepare to move your very very odd family. Good day," she then began to mutter to herself. "You never know what might be lurking about out here, what with rats..."

Della smirked quietly as Drell was a rat now in this world.

"Well, children," Mrs. Brisby sighed to her little ones. "Now you've done it."

"It was Martin." Teresa spoke up.

"The Shrew means well. She only wants to help," Mrs. Brisby continued, taking a kettle from over the fireplace, and filled a bowl with soup and poured the contents of the envelope into the bowl and moved into the bedroom. "Also, we have some guests who will be staying with us for a while: Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch. I want you to be nice to them, they're very sweet and brave folks."

Mo soon decided to try and help with Timmy's fever as she got a mouse-sized rag and soaked it into cold water.

"Oh, thank you, dear." Mrs. Brisby said, appreciating the help.

"This should help soothe the heat." Mo smiled softly.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, Mom." Martin soon said as his mother was leading the way to Timmy's room.

Della began to follow inside Timmy's room. Timmy was shown to be in bed, looking quite sick and miserable.

"Oh... Poor baby..." Mo cooed sadly for the young mouse.

Mrs. Brisby began to spoon-feed the soup to Timmy as Mo gently and carefully placed the rag on the mouse boy's forehead. One-by-one, the other children gathered around the bed. When the soup is gone, Timmy yawned, falling asleep, and he looked very thin.

"Is Timmy gonna die?" Cynthia asked.

"No, he isn't." Mo told her.

"He's just very sick, sweetheart." Mrs. Brisby added. 

"What's the matter with him, Mother?" Teresa then asked.

"Mr. Ages called it... Pneumonia." Mrs. Brisby said. 

"Pneumonia...." Teresa repeated in slight horror.

"When will he get better?" Cynthia asked.

"Soon... I hope." Mrs. Brisby said.

"It's getting rather late." Della said.

"It is," Mrs. Brisby replied. "Off to bed with you now." she then told her children.

Teresa, Cynthia, and Martin soon went to go to bed themselves.

"I'll show you a guest room... It used to be Jonathan's private study, hopefully there's enough room for you all." Mrs. Brisby softly told the others.

"Oh, I'm sure there is plenty of room." Della smiled.

"Very well... Good night to you all." Mrs. Brisby gave a small smile back.

"Good night, Mrs. Brisby." The group replied with small smiles to her as they went to a new room.

Della soon made the room a bit bigger with her magic, giving everyone their own bed since they decided to stay with Mrs. Brisby and her family for a while during this adventure.

"Wow, thanks, Della." Atticus, Mo, Cherry, and Patch smiled.

"What are friends for?" Della smiled back. "And remember, you can all call me 'Aunt Della'."

"Why can't Drell be as nice as you?" Cherry asked before yawning sleepily in her new bed which was just right as she seemed like she could instantly fall asleep.

"Drell's nice... He's just..." Atticus said before he then yawned himself. "Rough around the edges... Like a... Spiked... Potato... Chip..." he then began to fall asleep while talking.

The rest of the group soon fell asleep.

"Good night, dears... Sweet dreams... And don't let the bed bugs bite..." Della smiled sweetly before grinning once they fell asleep as she had plans for them. She soon decided to get some sleep herself.

Drell watched from the window as the group had fallen asleep, he soon began to sneak in and tried to wake them up, but they were fast asleep, he even tried slapping them awake or shaking them awake, but they wouldn't budge. "This is getting me nowhere." Drell whispered to himself.

Della soon seemed to wake up with a smirk, coming up behind him. "Boo."

"Really?" Drell deadpanned, turning to her. "Now you're just getting lazy."

"Oh, and it's not lazy to send poor children out all around the world to go on various adventures that could be dangerous?" Della smirked.

"Maybe, but they always come back." Drell told her.

"Mm-hmm~..." Della replied. "Like those times that they've died... Patch died helping his friend Stitch... Atticus died saving his best friend Cherry..."

"How do you know about all of that?" Drell narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Oh... I may have visited your archives once or twice." Della smirked innocently.

"That's trespassing." Drell glared.

"Oh, well." Della smirked.

"What did you do to them?" Drell glared about the group who was fast asleep. 

"Oh, don't worry, they'll be up by sunrise, I just thought they could use some sleep with you waking them up in the wee hours of the morning for your sick amusement." Della smirked.

"Don't you realize that it's important for them to wake up in case an emergency comes?" Drell asked.

"Meh," Della smirked. "I'd let them come see me whenever they felt like and take a break whenever they need it."

Drell just glared as he growled a bit toward her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some sleep," Della said, getting back to her bed. "You best leave too. Mice and rats aren't exactly friends around here. This isn't The Tale of Despereaux."

"Right." Drell glared.

"Shoo, shoo." Della smirked.

Drell glared before looking down to the sleeping group. "I don't know if you guys can hear me, but please... Believe me..." he then begged. "Della is using you guys... You have to trust me!"

Of course, they didn't answer him as they kept on sleeping before he soon left that night to let them sleep.

The next day soon came, and where the first two to wake up were Mrs. Brisby and Atticus. The two of them heard an engine which began to start. Mrs. Brisby then got up and clasped her hands to her chest as the fear struck. Going outside for a look, she climbed to the top of the large stone next to her house, and sniffed the air as Atticus began to join her.

"What did I tell you?" Auntie Shrew told the widowed mouse. "Moving Day!"

"But isn't there a way to stop it?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, I'm afraid not," Auntie Shrew replied. "I don't suppose you've packed!"

"What about Timmy?" Mrs. Brisby panicked. "The chill in the air could kill him!"

"Well, child, that tractor surely will," Auntie Shrew told her. "For the last time, get your children out of here, before it's too late!"

They soon heard the tractor getting started.

"I don't like the sound of that." Atticus gulped a bit.

"Run! Run for your lives, run!" Auntie Shrew called out into the field, running to warn the others. "It's Moving Day! Run! The plow is here! Run!"

Heads popped out of holes as the other animals sat up to hear. Warning signals get passed. Soon, every animal was running out of the field as fast as they could.

"Run! Get out!" Auntie Shrew told them. 

"I must get my children!" Mrs. Brisby told Atticus before running off.

Atticus frowned as he already knew what would happen to Timmy if he took one step out of bed, and where he had to think of what to do. 

Della soon woke up Cherry, Mo, and Patch rushing them off as it was now Moving Day.

"But I don't wanna move away." Cherry said groggily.

"Not Moving Day for you, for the Brisbys!" Della told her.

After thinking for sometime, Atticus ran off towards the tractor, and where everyone saw him running towards it and the one that freaked out the most was Auntie Shrew. 

"What are you doing, you crazy, stupid child?!" Auntie Shrew asked.

"I'm gonna help you guys!" Atticus replied while running.

"How?!" Auntie Shrew asked.

"By stopping the tractor!" Atticus told her while running.

"Just how do you intend to do that?" Auntie Shrew asked. "You're worse than Martin Brisby."

Atticus soon came up towards the tractor and held out his paws, preparing to grab it to stop it from ruining Mrs. Brisby's and everyone else's homes, but then he thought of a much smarter way as he went to the tractor's power source. Atticus checked his arms a bit as his muscles seemed weak right now for some reason. "Ooh, I better get you puppies into shape later on." he then said before going into the power source. 

A chain was seen dangling.

"Ha... Gotcha..." Atticus said before he soon went that way to the chain. And where he soon began to climb up the chain.

The tractor bumped a bit, making him yelp as he fell a bit, nearly falling to the blades, luckily narrowly missing them. 

"Phew..." Atticus sighed from that as he felt his heart race. 

"Atticus!" Mrs. Brisby soon cried out in deep concern.

"Don't worry, I'm okay" Atticus called out before continuing his way up the chain.

Mo began to hyperventilate for Atticus.

"Come on, let's help out the Brisbys." Cherry suggested as a distraction.

Atticus stood up as he shook a bit before Auntie Shrew was coming to go with him, though she thought he was insane. "Okay, gotta get to its main power source which should be close." he then said to himself.

"Atticus! Hang on!" Auntie Shrew told Atticus.

"It's okay, I got it!" Atticus told her as he carefully went to the main power source before he would find the spark plugs. "You shouldn't be here!"

"I'm here to help!" Auntie Shrew told him.

"Well, okay." Atticus said.

Auntie Shrew and Atticus soon went further into the machine. Atticus soon pulled one of the distributer caps off the spark plug. It arced wildly, flinging him from side-to-side, tossing himself against a fuel container, and when he saw what it is, she started to pull with all his strength at the hose running from it. Finally, he succeeded in pulling the hose loose which made fuel spray spray everywhere. And where Auntie Shrew made sure Atticus didn't fall off. The tractor soon began to slowly grind into a halt.

Atticus panted a bit as he dropped down, seeming to be wore out. "Hmm... I guess I should get back to some exercises before we see Drell again..." he then said to himself as he seemed not as strong as he used to be, but he was still able to help the Brisby family.

"Boy, come on." Auntie Shrew told Atticus, leading him into the grassy field as a human was coming out.

And where the human began to try and get his tractor started at first before seeing the source of his problem. "Well of all the rotten luck," The man grumbled to himself. "Fuel line's cut."

"He'll come back tomorrow," Mrs. Brisby frowned uneasily and worriedly. "I wish Jonathan were here."

"Well, he's not." Auntie Shrew stated bluntly. 

"Rude, much?" Cherry glanced at her.

Mrs. Brisby began to cry a bit.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Brisby." Mo frowned softly.

"Stupid!" Auntie Shrew complained about the humans.

"What am I going to do?" Mrs. Brisby sulked.

"We'll think of something," Auntie Shrew told her. "Come on, let's get out of here."

The group soon began to get out of there.

"Oh, dears... Are you all okay?" Della cooed to the adventure group.

"We're fine, Aunt Della, but I didn't feel as strong as I used to when I went up against that tractor." Atticus said.

"That's strange." Mo said.

"Yeah... I mean, I could hold it, but... I just felt a little weak..." Atticus said.

"Oh, dear... Maybe it's because you had to wake up so early?" Della suggested.

"Hmm... Maybe.... I should do some exercises after breakfast." Atticus replied.

"That sounds like a good idea." Patch nodded.

"I just hope Mrs. Brisby will be okay... I feel so bad to see her like this... And she misses her husband..." Cherry said lowly before her eyes flashed a rainbow color.

"Whoa... What was that?" Della asked like she didn't know.

"Those rainbow eyes? That was Cherry activating her Element of Harmony." Patch explained.

"Yes," Cherry nodded. "Mine's Empathy."

"And as for the rest of you?" Della asked the adventure group.

"Our Elements?" Patch asked.

"Might as well get to know each other better with me as your substitute adventure guardian." Della smiled.

"Well, mine's Strength," Atticus smiled back. "In Equestria, I'm known as the Prince of Strength alongside Twilight Sparkle being The Princess of Friendship."

"Yep," Mo nodded. "And mine's Bravery."

"I share Loyalty with Rainbow Dash, though... I kinda live up to my Element more than her," Patch then said. "Probably because I'm a dog, so I was born loyal."

"How very admirable," Della smiled. "You have your very own Elements of Harmony."

"Yep!" The adventure group smiled back.

"Let's get you kids some breakfast." Della then smiled, taking them away from the field.

"Some food does sound good." Atticus nodded.

"I'll make you some." Della smiled as she walked off.

The adventure group smiled back as they had a lot of fun with Della since they started this new adventure. Della soon began to flex one of her arms once she was alone to make breakfast. She smirked a bit as she saw that arm had gotten a little stronger than it once was.

"I need to get us some help." Auntie Shrew told Mrs. Brisby as the adventure group waited for some breakfast.

"How about The Great Owl?" Mo asked while waiting for breakfast.

"You know about The Great Owl?" Auntie Shrew asked in surprise.

"I heard Martin say he wasn't afraid of the Great Owl; whoever it is, he must be very wise." Mo said.

"Well... He IS very helpful..." Auntie Shrew said about the Great Owl. 

"Then I think you guys ought to go see him," Mo replied. "Even if owls eat mice."

"Yes, you're right, I'll take Elizabeth as soon as possible." Auntie Shrew then said as she felt inspired.

"Great." Mo smiled.

"I guess after you folks eat up... Where did you come from anyway?" Auntie Shrew asked sharply.

"Uh... Dapplewood Forest!" Cherry made up on the spot. "It's very far from here."

"Hmm... Interesting..." Auntie Shrew replied. "You folks are really strange."

"Oh, Auntie Shrew, they're lovely dears." Mrs. Brisby told the shrew as she loved their company.

Della soon came back to the group with breakfast. The group looked happily amazed from the breakfast.

"I hope it's all okay," Della smiled. "Mo, Cherry told me that you were a vegetarian, so I made do with what I could."

"Thanks, Aunt Della; it looks great." Mo smiled back.

"Aw! Thank you." Della smiled back.

The adventure group soon began to dig in to their breakfast.

"Mind if I take some for my little ones?" Mrs. Brisby asked Della.

"Oh, sure, here you go." Della replied, giving her some food to take to Martin, Teresa, and Cynthia.

"Oh, thank you." Mrs. Brisby smiled.

Della smiled back. "You're very welcome."

"After breakfast, please come with me?" Mrs. Brisby requested to the adventure group.

"Oh, I don't know... I think I should stay and keep an eye on the young ones..." Mo replied. "I'm a big sister back home."

"What about the rest of you?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"Well, I'll go with you, Mrs. Brisby, if you don't mind." Atticus said.

"How very noble of you." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"I'll go too." Cherry then said.

"I'll stay with Mo and the kids." Patch volunteered.

"Okay, Patch." Atticus said.

Eventually, everyone finished breakfast, and it was time to split up. While they were getting ready, Atticus began to do some push-ups and sit-ups to keep up with his strength since it was slightly lacking from when he took down the tractor earlier that morning. And where it seemed to work, unknown to him, it was because he was far from Della.

"Banzai!" Cherry called out, jumping onto his back to weigh him down.

Patch and Mo soon joined her to weigh down Atticus.

Atticus continued to push up and down with them there, making him smile in relief. "Thanks, guys, I'm back!"

Patch and Mo smiled back, happy to know that. The others soon came off of Atticus's back once he got back into shape.

"Come. Come. We must go." Auntie Shrew rushed them.

"Okay," Cherry told her before looking to Mo and Patch. "Uh, see you guys later."

"See ya later." Mo and Patch smiled.

Cherry and Atticus soon left with Auntie Shrew and Mrs. Brisby to see The Great Owl.


	3. Chapter 3

"The Great Owl would know what to do about this," Auntie Shrew reminded Mrs. Brisby. "You must go see him."

"Oh, w-we couldn't do that," Mrs. Brisby said nervously. "Owls eat mice!"

"Well, my child, show a little courage!" Auntie Shrew reminded her. "We're fighting for Timmy's life!"

"And we know the fastest way there." Atticus smiled.

"Jonathan, your wife, I fear, is in desperate trouble," A voice soon spoke. "A visit to the Great Owl may indeed be profitable. Go to the Owl then, Mrs. Brisby. Go there!"

Cherry looked around before shrugging as she could had sworn that she heard something, though a familiar sight was coming back in the shape of a certain crow they had met earlier yesterday after meeting Mr. Ages and Mrs. Brisby. As they were flying on Jeremy, Mrs. Brisby looked terrified.

"This isn't so bad." Cherry tried to say with a straight face.

"Nice evening, huh?" Jeremy smiled. "I told you you'd love flying."

"I don't know how I let you talk me into this!" Mrs. Brisby gasped.

"Aw, don't thank me, Mrs. Briz," Jeremy replied. "When we get to the Great Owl, he'll know just what to do about everything!"

"Owls eat mice!" Mrs. Brisby reminded him.

"Um... Only after dark..." Jeremy shrugged before diving toward a stand of trees and barreled among the branches at high speed, finally coming to light on a branch. 

Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby soon slid cautiously down the crow's leg.

"That must be the owl's tree over there." Jeremy said, indicating to a sinister looking tree a short distance away as he went to take flight again.

"Awesome." Cherry smirked a bit.

"Looks homey." Atticus said.

Mrs. Brisby cupped in Jeremy's left foot. They landed on a branch leading to a dark hole in the side of the tree. Cobwebs hung from everywhere. Slow breathing could be heard within... Or was it just the wind?

"Hello? Hello?" Jeremy soon called out, though he didn't get an answer so far. "Well, the place looks deserted. I guess we'd better get outta here." he then suggested. 

Suddenly, a loud hooting sound could be heard from within the tree, and a dusty gust of wind came rolling out of the hole, as if something was flapping very large wings, blowing the group backward a bit. 

"Step inside my house..." A voice demanded. 

"Okay, that was a creepy voice..." Cherry had to admit.

"Well, we better get inside." Atticus told Mrs. Brisby and Cherry.

Mrs. Brisby was about to follow them, but hesitated.

"Come inside, or go away." The voice demanded. 

"Mrs. Brisby, think about your son." Cherry tried to help motivate the widowed mouse into going with them.

"Timothy... Remember Timothy..." Mrs. Brisby told herself as she soon followed them.

The three mice began to make their way inside. Cherry let out a small yelp as she stumbled over a pile of bones, knocking them down into the inner recesses of the tree.

Mrs. Brisby then gasped as a moth fluttered in her face, nearly sending her racing back out. A spider stalked her, but just as it was about to attack, it was crushed by the owl's foot. Mrs. Brisby cowered in terror at the sight of the owl's glowing eyes.

"It's okay... It's okay." Atticus told Mrs. Brisby and Cherry as they seemed a bit scared, though Mrs. Brisby a lot more than Cherry. 

"Why have you come?" The Great Owl demanded.

"Please... Please forgive us for disturbing you, but my son's life is in great danger." Mrs. Brisby spoke up. 

A fluttering moth came too close to the owl, and he gulped it down.

"Gruesome." Cherry winced slightly.

"Moving Day's come, and we were wondering if you could help us." Atticus told the owl.

"Move your family." The Great Owl stated, emphasizing his words with flapping of his huge wings. 

Mrs. Brisby, Cherry, and Atticus were now in the center of a gust of wind like the one they had felt before with Jeremy, making the widowed mouse cower as bones dislodged from the ceiling, clattering all around them. 

"Yes, I would move, but Timothy has pneumonia," Mrs. Brisby then said. "He can't even get out of bed."

The Great Owl considered this before speaking again. "You must move it to a place where it will be safe from the plow."

"Please, there must be another way." Mrs. Brisby begged.

"There is no other way." The Great Owl replied.

Mrs. Brisby frowned as it seemed now hopeless.

"I must bid you good evening, Mrs...?" The Great Owl soon spoke to the widowed mouse again.

"Mrs. Brisby." She informed.

"Brisby? Mrs. Jonathan Brisby?" The Great Owl soon asked as he suddenly turned back and peered closely enough at the widowed mouse that she could see her reflection is his eye, making her pull back as far as she dared.

"Why, yes! He was my husband!" Mrs. Brisby then said.

"You knew her husband?" Cherry asked. "How?"

"That is not important," The Great Owl replied. "I will say this, his name is not unknown in these woods."

"Sir, there must be another way." Atticus said to the Great Owl, referring to Mrs. Brisby's predicament.

"Please sir, I'll do anything to save Timmy," Mrs. Brisby begged. "Anything."

The Great Owl soon considered for a moment before thinking of something. "There is a way. Go to the rats." he then told them.

"The rats?" Cherry and Atticus repeated.

"But I don't know any rats!" Mrs. Brisby replied.

"In the rosebush." The Great Owl soon said.

"Oh, yes, near the farmhouse." Mrs. Brisby then said.

"Go there," The Great Owl instructed. "Ask for Nicodemus."

"Yes, sir." Atticus nodded.

"Nicodemus... Right." Cherry repeated the name so that she would remember for later.

"Nicodemus?" Mrs. Brisby then asked. "But how can they help?"

"They must move your house to the lee of the stone." The Great Owl advised.

"No rat could move my house!" Mrs. Brisby then gasped. "It's--"

"They have ways!" The Great Owl replied, looming in again.

"I don't understand, but I will do as you say." Mrs. Brisby then said as she saw she needed to do this for the future of her young son's life and her family.

"Thank you, Great Owl." Atticus smiled.

"You are welcome... It is night... I must go." The Great Owl then said as he went for the door as the others got out of the way as best as they could. "Remember... The lee of the stone." he then reminded, proceeding past the cowering Jeremy to the end of the branch. He spread his wings, and flew off into the night. 

The mice then rejoined Jeremy at the entrance.

"What... What did he say?" Jeremy asked them.

"He said to go to the rats." Mrs. Brisby said.

"Rats?" Jeremy asked. "What rats?"

"The lee of the stone..." Mrs. Brisby said to herself thoughtfully.

"We better get back to your home." Atticus told Mrs. Brisby.

"Yes... Right... Right..." Mrs. Brisby nodded to that.

They soon came back to the house as Mo and Patch did a very good job with entertaining Teresa, Cynthia, and even Martin.

"Well, we can see you kept the kids entertained." Atticus smiled at Mo and Patch.

"Yeah, even Martin liked us," Patch smiled back. "They kinda like us better than Auntie Shrew."

"Well, at least you guys had some fun." Cherry replied.

They soon saw Martin, Teresa, and Cynthia, looking tired.

"Ready for bed?" Mo smiled.

"Yeah..." The Brisby kids replied.

"Alright," Mo said. "You guys get your pajamas and wash up and I'll tell you a story."

The Brisby kids soon went to get into their pajamas, and where Mrs. Brisby was surprised in a good way to see this happening.

"This hasn't happened in a very long time..." Mrs. Brisby said to Mo. "Are you a professional nanny?"

"No, but I've been looking after my little brother for a very long time, and I've learned some pointers from my big brother and sister." Mo smiled proudly.

"I can see that their pointers have pulled off." Mrs. Brisby smiled back.

"Thank you, Mrs. Brisby," Mo beamed. "Also, welcome home."

Mrs. Brisby smiled to her, though she frowned softly once Mo was out of sight.

"It'll be okay, Mrs. Brisby, we're right here with you." Cherry soothed the widowed mouse about going to see the rats for help.

"Yeah." Atticus added.

"Yes, I suppose so... You're both very brave souls..." Mrs. Brisby said.

"We've been through a lot." Cherry and Atticus replied.

"It's true." Patch smiled.

"Oh, I wish I could fearless like you... Or my darling Jonathan..." Mrs. Brisby said.

"Only fools are fearless." Cherry quoted.

"No one is fearless." Atticus added.

"Jonathan was..." Mrs. Brisby said.

"Mrs. Brisby, you should know that being brave doesn't mean you go out looking for trouble," Atticus advised. "You should be brave when you have to be. Especially for your children with your poor little Timmy sick in bed."

"That's right." Cherry added.

"You make it sound so easy." Mrs. Brisby said to them.

"Try not to worry so much, we're all here for you." Cherry coaxed.

"Yes... Excuse me..." Mrs. Brisby smiled softly as she walked off briefly.

"Cherry, that was very good of you." Atticus sounded proud of his best friend.

"It was nothing." Cherry said bashfully.

Eventually, things seemed calm and quiet so far.

"I wonder where Drell is?" Patch commented. "Shouldn't we had seen him by now?"

"Yeah..." Mo replied. "It's not like him to procrastinate in meeting us THIS late." Mo had to agree.

"Yeah, he's never this late." Atticus said.

Della hummed as she walked by.

"Aunt Della, where's Drell?" Cherry soon asked her. "It's not like him to be so late."

"Oh, my... He must've overslept or isn't coming," Della replied. "I do hope that wasn't my fault."

"Oh, I'm sure it wasn't." Atticus said.

"Did you guys have a fight?" Patch asked.

"Oh, yes..." Della replied. "It was about who would be a better teacher/guardian for you all since you're all very special and important children."

"Well, then it's no contest." Cherry said.

"Oh?" Della replied.

"I want you to be our teacher from now on," Cherry smirked. "You're a lot nicer, and helpful, and sweet."

"Oh, thank you, dear." Della smiled.

"But Drell cares about us to." Atticus said.

"Only because he's getting paid to do so." Della said.

"...Paid...?" Atticus asked. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't really care about any of you... He's just using you all." Della explained.

"What? No way." Patch said.

"He told me so himself." Della replied, showing a bubble.

"I don't know why I bother wasting my time with those brats," Drell seemed to scoff in the bubble as the adventure group watched it. "They're so tedious, childish, immature, and annoying. It's not worth my time and energy to babysit them, but as long as I'm getting paid handsomely, it'll make things just a little more tolerable. Take that, Della!"

The adventure soon looked shocked after they saw what Drell said in the bubble.

"I hate to burst your bubble, kids, but... It's the truth..." Della frowned as she popped the bubble. "Also, you're old enough now to make your own decisions. So... What do you say?"

"We're sorry we doubted you." Atticus said softly, trying not to feel too hurt.

"It's alright..." Della soothed. "You hardly know me, so I understand."

"I think we should get some sleep." Atticus frowned.

"Yes... Sleep is important... Especially for you, isn't it, Cherry?" Della replied.

"Yeah... It really is..." Cherry nodded. 

Della smiled as she helped them get some sleep, though they couldn't believe Drell would say such a thing after how well they had gotten to know him over the years as his students. Sure, he was sore and annoyed with them at first, but they all grew on each other, being like their own little family, and where later on, they would learn the truth. The group soon fell fast asleep, though while they went to sleep, Della seemed to place jars beside them, as if to take something from them.

"You may have gotten some strength back, but as long as I'm here, I'll make you weaker than you once were, Wiccan Boy." Della smirked to Atticus as he was fast asleep.

Atticus seemed to groan as he tossed his body away from the jar.

Della grasped the jar so it wouldn't fall and break and smirked as she put it away for now and soon came toward sleeping Cherry. "Hmm... I wonder what powers you could hold in your dreams, young lady?" she then smirked. 

Cherry hugged her pillow as she drifted off in her sleep, though Della placed a jar beside her as she reached out to poke the sleeping perky goth.

A tiger roar was heard before Kimba soon sprouted out in front of Della.

"A Celestial Cub... How very rare... And exotic." Della gasped in surprise before grinning at the white tiger.

Kimba began to growl at Della, feeling her evilness.

"Mm... What an exotic specimen..." Della smirked.

"Stay away from Cherry..." Kimba snarled. "I should've known something was wrong. I haven't seen her in the Dream Realm since you showed up."

"I'm just giving her a little break from work, nothing wrong with that." Della defended innocently.

"If she doesn't return to the Dream Realm, then there will be no one to protect it when Princess Luna retires, and I will never see her again." Kimba told her.

"That would be a shame, wouldn't it?" Della replied.

"I'm going to tell Cherry what you're up to once she wakes up." Kimba glared, going to turn back to Cherry's imagination for the rest of the night.

"I don't think so." Della said before she soon blew a blow dart against the tiger. 

Kimba, though usually unstoppable, got hit in an instant and dropped flat on the floor, which didn't wake up any of the adventure group, surprisingly enough.

"Play 'Dead', Kitty..." Della smirked as she soon used her magic to store Kimba away out of the room while the group continued to sleep as she drained the others of their magic and power source while she could before they would wake up.

"I have to warn Cherry now." Kimba said as he used as much power he had left to try and warn Cherry.

"You're not going anywhere." Della glared, stepping on his tail to stop him.

Kimba dropped back down before scratching her, causing Della to back away long enough to get back to his mistress. Della glared as she held onto her scratched arm.

"Take... That..." Kimba grunted before he soon descended into Cherry's imagination while the girl continued to sleep.

"That Celestial Cub is much more clever than I thought." Della glared.

Drell chuckled from behind the window as he stayed hidden so none of the mice would see him since he was a rat. He soon made his way to where the rats were hiding.

It took him a while until he soon ran by a voice.

"Who are you...?" A voice demanded. "Friend or foe?"

"I hope to be friend..." Drell replied.

A tall and slender dark brown rat soon came out, coming to check him out, seeing that he was a fellow rat. "Hmm... You say you're a friend... I haven't seen you before..." he then said.

"It's a long story, I'm not here to attack." Drell promised.

"Well, that's good to hear then, come in." The tall and slender brown rat said.

Drell soon followed the rat inside. "I guess you're important around here, huh?" he then asked.

"Heh, probably not as much as Nicodemus," The rat chuckled. "I am Justin: The Captain of the Guard. You couldn't have come from NIMH though, have you? You seem stabilized already."

"It's a very long story." Drell replied.

"Can't wait to hear it." Justin said.

Drell soon followed Justin in to some special quarters.

"You seem hungry..." Justin said, holding out a tray of some snacks.

"Hmm... Maybe one..." Drell smirked a bit and soon ate all of the snacks as he was very hungry right now.

"More like all of 'em." Justin said.

"Hm. Funny." Drell smirked.

"I try," Justin smirked back. "So... You're not from NIMH?"

"I... Uh... Lost my... Children..." Drell replied. "We were traveling together, and we got separated. I-I have to find them. If anything happened to them, I'd be devastated."

"I promise you, we'll find them." Justin told him.

"Thank you..." Drell said in strong relief. "I... I miss them so much. I've been watching them for so long."

"Well, they are your children," Justin replied. "Of course you would be worried."

"Yes... I know..." Drell replied as he began to think about the first time he saw Cherry and Atticus, the real first time and not just when they came in with Sabrina after Hilda and Zelda warned them about him, but when they were babies and born under the prophecy.

"So should we get you settled in?" Justin asked.

"Hm? Oh, yes, sure." Drell replied.

"Right this way, buddy," Justin said, leading him over to a cot to get some sleep. "I know it's small..."

"Eh. It'll do." Drell shrugged, though he did have to admit the cot was a bit small for him since he was pretty big, even as a rat.

They began to continue their way inside. Drell sighed as he looked a little sad to be separated from his little adventure group, especially with what Della did just to get his goat and to be a better mentor for them than himself.

Meanwhile in Cherry's dream...

Cherry was shown to be a famous author, grinning and waving to her fans as she appeared at a podium as they all gave her gratuitous praise like a special room in Della's Pleasure Dome. 

"They're all here for you... They love you..." Della smiled sweetly to Cherry. 

"They love me..." Cherry whispered, feeling touched, but then her dream began to take her out of the room. "Whoa! Hey! Let me back!" she then cried out, trying to stay, but she was forced to be moved. "Aunt Della! Help me!"

The crowd looked worried for Cherry.

"Heeeeeelp!" Cherry cried out and was soon blown away and everything faded to black as her voice echoed a bit as if she was going down a long, dark tunnel.

She began to make her way down the dark tunnel and where she was soon in a forest where the floor seemed like water, only she wasn't falling in. Cherry blinked before looking around as it seemed to be dark as night. "Hello? Aunt Della?" she then called out as her voice seemed to echo again as she walked around. "Hello? Is anybody here?" She soon saw some white tigers all around her which at first made her nervous. "Heh... Heya, fellas..." she then said nervously. "You see a witch lady by the name of Della Plotsworth? No? Um... Okay... I'll just run along then..."

The white tigers looked at her as she tried to get away from them, but she soon saw one in front of her and when she tried to get away from it, she soon bumped into another one as she touched what was behind her before it crumbled to pieces.

"I don't like this!" Cherry said in a stressed voice. "I want my Aunt Della!"

"My lady... Calm yourself..." A familiar voice soon tried to soothe the perky goth.

Cherry soon looked to where the voice came and found it to be Kimba. The white tiger soon appeared in a bright light, looking brave and majestic as always.

"Kimba..." Cherry whispered to her tiger guardian.

"I'm lucky I made it just in time." Kimba spoke to her.

"Kimba what's going on? I was first at a podium with Aunt Della where I was a famous author and people were loving me and then next, I was in a dark tunnel and then I was here and I saw lots of white tigers before I bumped into one of them and it crumbled to pieces!" Cherry told him.

"That was an illusion... I needed to talk with you." Kimba told her.

"I have a lot on my mind as it is," Cherry replied. "We're in this strange forest with the Brisby family, and Timmy has pneumonia and he could die, and we have to find help from rats, and Drell's not even here... He never cared about us. I knew he and I had a hard time getting along since I'm a bit of a smart aleck, but he didn't have to insult us like that behind our backs."

"No, that is not true; what you were shown was a lie, Della's draining you and your friends of your magic and life force." Kimba warned her.

"Oh, Kimba, that's silly," Cherry replied. "Why would Aunt Della do that to us? She loves us."

"Does she?" Kimba asked with emphasis.

"Of course she does," Cherry smiled. "She lets us have fun, relax a little, and gives us what ever we want. Drell never does that."

Kimba soon used what energy he had left to show what was happening. Cherry flinched from the bright light before watching with him for a bit. Della was shown, smiling innocently to the others, though she had secret jars, and when they fell asleep in her special beds which would keep them asleep all night until sunrise, so that she could drain their magic and life source. And where Cherry was shocked to see that Kimba was telling the truth about Della.

"I... I can't believe it..." Cherry muttered a bit. 

"I'm sorry, Cherry..." Kimba said to her. 

"This can't be..." Cherry frowned. "Then... Why did Drell say what he did?"

Kimba then used a bit more energy to show more magic of Della using a spell to impersonate the warlock with a smirk to herself.

"So... Then that means... Drell really does care about us?" Cherry asked.

"I know he seems tough, but he's only doing that to motivate you all to be stronger." Kimba replied.

A black moon started to come out.

"I guess that makes sense." Cherry frowned.

"You must get your dream-bending power back; if you don't, I'll never be able to find you again." Kimba told her.

"Why?" Cherry still frowned. "Why couldn't you?"

"Why do you think? It was Della.." Kimba replied as magic sparkles came out, separating them a bit. "Only the power of your dreams and pure heart allow me to exist in your own little world. Without them... I can't."

"Oh... S-So, you mean if Della keeps draining me of my dream-bending powers; I'll never be able to see you again?" Cherry asked, looking emotional.

The magic sparkles began to look as if they were about to separate Cherry and Kimba for good.

"Oh, no..." Cherry said, starting to sound like a little girl now. "I couldn't bear it! No! ...I don't want that, Kimba. It can't be... I was being selfish, I didn't know!" she said before running up to the white tiger, going through the magical sparkles.

The sparkles seemed to hit Cherry a bit as she ran by and soon looked like a little girl from when she lived in an orphanage as there was light singing in the background before a star glowed bright in the dark sky up above. Kimba soon looked to her before she looked down and around, seeing her current clothes were too big for her now.

"I'm little again!" Cherry realized as tears ended up in her eyes.

Kimba smiled as he was happy that Cherry wasn't going to lose her dream-bending powers and which meant Della's jars would shatter. Cherry smiled back, happy to know that she ran through the sparkles just in time.

"My young mistress, only your innocent dreams can save the day." Kimba told her as he walked up to her.

Cherry and Kimba beamed together before coming closer to each other as they shared a hug with each other until they separated from their hug.

"You must not let Della drain your and your friends' magic and life source anymore from here on." Kimba told her.

"Kimba, what if I'm not strong enough?" Cherry frowned. 

"I know you are," Kimba replied. "You defeated King Sombra. You can take down Della. I know you can. You have to know you can too."

Cherry nodded as a burst of dream-bending magic burst out in the real world, and where it sent Della flying and caused the jars to shatter. Cherry seemed to hide a small smile as she was still asleep along with the others.

"What the foo was that?!" Della complained. She soon saw her jars were shattered and all the magic and life source she stole had returned to the ones she stole them from.

"You! YOU..." she then glared to Cherry. "Oh, you think you're clever, don't you?!"

'Nyah, nyah, boo, boo, I'm rubber and you're glue~' Cherry's inner voice taunted the witch.

Della glared as her planned was being thwarted by Cherry while in her sleep.

'Can ya hear me, witch?' Cherry's inner voice mocked.

"How are you doing that?!" Della glared. "You're not a psychic!"

'Maybe not, but I learned a special telepathy spell from my grandmother in times of dire emergency, so... PBBT!' Cherry retorted before blowing a raspberry.

"You are so going to pay for this!" Della glared before covering her mouth so she wouldn't wake anyone up. Luckily for her, Atticus, Mo, or Patch didn't seem to wake up.

'Yeah, yeah, I've heard that one before,' Cherry's inner voice replied as her face smirked with an eyebrow arch. 'You better keep it down before you wake up my friends. Once I tell them what you're up to, you're toast.'

"Oh, you think they'll believe you? Especially with how well talented of an actress witch I am?" Della smirked. "After all you fell for my act first."

'...They'll still believe me.' Cherry replied after hesitating a bit.

"Why did you hesitate?" Della smirked.

'I-I'll be fine... Y-You'll see!' Cherry replied as her face glared a bit, trying to stay brave. 'This isn't over, Della!'

"Oh, this should be fun," Della smirked. "Anyway, better get my sleep."

'You just learn how to sleep with one eye open! YEEEAH!' Cherry retorted.

"Good night, Sweet Princess." Della giggled darkly as she went to go to sleep.

Cherry's eyes were closed in the Dream Realm before she opened them with a small gulp.

"It won't be easy, but you'll be able to convince them she's evil, but until then you'll have to act like nothing happened until the time is right." Kimba said.

"So am I just supposed to go along and pretend that nothing's wrong around my friends?" Cherry asked.

"I'm sorry, Cherry, but it might be best so Della doesn't win." Kimba advised.

Cherry sighed sharply, slowly shutting her eyes. "Fine."

"Do not worry, everything will be alright." Kimba promised her.

"I guess so..." Cherry sighed.

Kimba kept her company and comfort until she would soon wake up.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a bit of a rough night for Cherry until the next morning came as she and Atticus were due to going with Mrs. Brisby to find the rats. It would be easy though as the only was was with the rose bush. The adventure group soon woke up. Della passed by Cherry with a small smirk. Cherry grasped the covers for protection, letting out a small whimper.

"Good morning!" Della smirked, though beamed brightly to the others before looking over with an innocent smile.

"Morning." The adventure group yawned as Atticus stretched his arms.

"Della, I don't know how you do it, but these beds you made are so cozy," Mo beamed. "I don't even feel like getting up in the middle of the night."

"Yeah, me neither," Patch added. "It's like we could get a full eight hours of sleep."

"Hm, where were these beds during SAT Prep, eh, Cherry?" Atticus chuckled to himself.

Cherry didn't say anything.

"Cherry? Cherry!" Atticus called.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, heh. Funny." Cherry replied.

"Cherry, did you try to get back to sleep?" Atticus asked.

"Huh? What? I'm fine." Cherry said, going under the covers.

Atticus came to her before chuckling, moving the covers. "Come on, Cherry, it's a new day," he told her. "We promised we'd help Mrs. Brisby."

"Oh, yeah," Cherry said. "Just us and no one else."

"Come on... Get out of bed," Atticus said while laughing. "It's gonna be alright."

Cherry looked to him while he glanced to her a bit. 

"...You are feeling okay, are you...?" Atticus asked. "You didn't catch Timmy's fever, did you?"

"No, no, I'm coming... It's alright." Cherry replied.

"Whew, that's good." Atticus sighed out of relief.

Della went to make some breakfast for all of them. Cherry soon sighed as she rolled out of bed to get breakfast with everyone before she and Atticus would go help Mrs. Brisby while Mo and Patch would keep an eye on the kids for her. Della began to make breakfast while Atticus and the others got ready.

"So, you're going to see some rats?" Patch asked.

"Yes," Atticus nodded. "They're going to help us move Mrs. Brisby's home before Moving Day destroys it to meet some guy named Nicodemus."

"Whoa." Mo said.

"Keep an eye on the kids for us and keep them distracted." Atticus said.

"We'll do our best," Mo replied. "I am a professional caretaker."

"Yeah," Patch said. "Should be easy."

"Thanks again, guys, I just hope it's not too much trouble." Atticus smiled.

"Well, you know me with being with the Buddies and Oddball." Patch smiled back with a reminder.

"That's true." Atticus nodded then.

"This should be interesting." Cherry said.

"You sure you're okay, Cherry?" Atticus asked. "You seem to be acting kind of... Funny..."

"I'm fine, really..." Cherry said, trying to hide her anxiety as Della passed by them.

"Well, okay." Atticus said.

Cherry looked all around with her eyes darting around. Mo soon let out a horrified yelp.

"Mo?!" Atticus frowned. "Mo, what's wrong?"

"I... I planted some flowers for Mrs. Brisby, but look!" Mo frowned back, showing some flowers that were wilted and dying in her hands. "They're all droopy!"

"That's new." Atticus said.

Mo soon began to sing to the flowers, hoping her Equestrian magic would save the flowers. The flower seemed to stand up at first. The others leaned in hopefully, though the flower seemed to stand up straight without blooming which made Mo frown a little.

"Guess I should get back to working on my powers." Mo sighed a little.

"Can I help?" Teresa asked.

The others looked over to the young mouse girl.

"I'm not sure if you can, sweetie, but..." Mo said before seeing her puppy dog-like eyes with a small pout. "I guess you could give it a shot."

"Okay!" Teresa beamed.

Teresa soon helped with the flowers as she gave them a little water. Mo gave a small smile as she and Teresa bonded well like sisters.

"Come along, we better get going." Mrs. Brisby told Cherry and Atticus.

"We'll be back later, Aunt Della." Atticus smiled.

"Have fun, I love you both." Della smiled back as she hugged the best friends.

"Yeah, right back at ya." Cherry replied.

Della gave a sickly sweet smile before it grew into a dark grin once Cherry and Atticus were out of sight with Mrs. Brisby.

"Is it working?" Teresa smiled to Mo.

"I think you," Mo smiled back. "What a great little helper you are."

"Aw, thanks." Teresa smiled brightly.

Atticus gave a fond smile as he and Cherry soon walked off with Mrs. Brisby to find the rats they had heard so much about.

At the Fitzgibbons' farmhouse, front yard, Mrs. Fitzgibbons was hanging out the wash. Unnoticed by her, a baby's baptismal gown suddenly came to life and headed off across the yard towards the rosebush. It pausec as it passes Dragon who was on his back, asleep. The figure pulled the hood back, revealing to be a certain clumsy crow, pausing to suppress a sneeze or two before continuing on. He pauses to suppress a sneeze or two, and continues.

"Mrs. Briz! Cherry! Atticus!" Jeremy called out, reaching to the rosebush and tripped over a low branch. "Oh, excuse me, pardon me."

"Jeremy?" Cherry whispered.

"What on Earth?!" Mrs. Brisby added.

"I'm in disguise!" Jeremy replied theatrically before cackling diabolically. 

"Jeremy, please, not now!" Atticus told the crow firmly. "We're trying to find the entrance, and these thorns are very dense.

"Here, let me help you--" Jeremy replied, sticking his head against the thorns, touching them, and so... "OW, YEOWCH!!!"

Mrs. Brisby jumped up and wrapped her arms around Jeremy's beak, shutting him up, making him make muffled sounds. "Will you be quiet?" she then scolded. "They'll hear you!"

"We've got to find this Nicodemus before the farmer gets that tractor fixed from Atticus's endeavor!" Cherry added.

"I'll keep a look-out!" Jeremy offered, trying to take off, but his disguise got caught on the bush, ending up hanging upside-down.

"Ugh." Cherry groaned.

"Will you--!" Mrs. Brisby warned. "You're going to get us all killed!"

"I don't see anybody coming." Jeremy said before falling to the ground with a thump.

"If you really wanted to help us, you'd go away." Cherry glared.

"Why that's very brave of you, Cher, but I can't... I can't leave you here alone," Jeremy replied. "Why, if anything were to happen, think... Think of the children!"

Atticus soon got an idea by the mention of the children. "That's it!" he then said out of inspiration.

"Huh? That's what?" Jeremy asked out of confusion. 

"Jeremy, someone strong should be protecting Mrs. Brisby's children," Atticus suggested as Cherry soon caught on what was going on. "In case that tractor starts up again." 

"Oh, in case the tra--Hey! How 'bout me?" Jeremy then replied.

"Oh, would you?" Cherry asked, fluttering her eyelashes at the crow.

"Yeah, sure! That'd be terrific practice!" Jeremy beamed. "Girls can't resist a guy who's good with kids, you know, domestic type. Play games, help out, domestic!"

"Exactly." Atticus smiled.

"Yes. Yes, domestic," Mrs. Brisby agreed. "Now whatever you do, don't tell them where I am."

"My lips are sealed, Mrs. Briz." Jeremy promised.

"Bye." Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby told the crow.

"Good luck with the rats!" Jeremy saluted sharply and pulled the gown back around himself. 

Mrs. Brisby turned back to the bush, but Jeremy came back one last time.

"What?" Cherry asked through her teeth. 

"Oh! Where do you live?" Jeremy asked the widowed mouse. 

"By that big stone in the garden," Mrs. Brisby replied. "Just stay out of trouble?"

"Not to worry, Mrs. Briz. I love kids and kids love me," Jeremy replied before he seemed to rap to himself. "Kids love me and I love kids, I a-love-a kids, and-a kids a-love--" Not watching where he was going, he tripped over Dragon's leg who was still asleep, until he immediately wrapped around him. 

"Come on, let's go." Cherry told her best friend and the widowed mouse.

"Agreed." Atticus nodded.

Suppressing sneezes, Jeremy tried to pull the gown out of Dragon's grasp. Finally, he sneezed, inflating the gown, and propelling himself into the air.

"Dragon! You lazy kitty!" Mrs. Fitzgibbons complained, retrieving the gown. "Go catch some of those rats out in the barn!"

"Dragon opened an eye, then fell asleep again.

"I've never seen a cat sleep so much." Mrs. Fitzgibbons then mused to herself.

Mrs. Brisby watched this, then returned to her search with Cherry and Atticus.

Atticus opened a small branch, which moved under his touch. A cleverly disguised door opened with a creak. The three mice soon came in before the door closed itself behind them.

"Well, here we go." Atticus said.

"No turning back now." Cherry added.

Inside the rosebush, weird lights flickered and crackled. Electrical current s to seemed flow all around the three mice. They narrowly escaped being caught by some sort of animated vines that tangle together, drawing the thorns across the entrance tightly. Their escape was soon blocked, they can now only go forward. They proceeded through the bush, past sights wondrous and frightening, finally reaching a curtain across the way. Mrs. Brisby peered through it. 

On the other side, is a brightly lit space in the center of the rosebush, with an elegantly wrought footpath over a small pond, leading to an elaborate arch with a tunnel opening leading underground. The three mice entered the open space, looking left and right at the beautiful landscaping, when suddenly a massive metal object crashed down to the ground directly in front of them. They then looked up into the eyes of an enormous rat with a battle ax!

"H-Hey, now, buddy, we don't want any trouble." Cherry gulped a bit.

"Yeah, we're just here to talk with Nicodemus." Atticus told the rat as he stood bravely to the enormous rat to protect Mrs. Brisby and Cherry.

The rat didn't say anything.

"Erm... Are you Nicodemus?" Mrs. Brisby spoke up. 

The rat lunged, striking at the trio with his ax. 

"Stay close to me." Atticus told Cherry with caution.

"Please, we need help!" Mrs. Brisby cried out to the rat.

The rat struck again, and again, chasing the three of them out the way they had come. He slashed the curtain behind them for good measure before turning back to the entrance before they ducked to a hiding place, but immediately an ominous shadow approached.

"Please stop!" Cherry begged while crying a bit. 

"Who goes there?" A voice demanded.

"Us!" Cherry, Atticus, and Mrs. Brisby replied.

The voice was shown to be Mr. Ages.

"Oh! Oh, Mr. Ages..." Atticus smiled, relieved to see a familiar face.

"Mrs. Brisby? Children?" Mr. Ages asked. "What are you--What are you doing here?"

"Oh! Oh thank goodness it's you!" Mrs. Brisby said to him. 

"How in thunder did you get in here?" Mr. Ages asked.

"The plow has come early to the field--" Cherry tried to explain.

"Well, you had better march straight back out the way you came!" Mr. Ages said firmly.

"We can't leave." Atticus said.

"I can't bring Timothy out," Mrs. Brisby explained. "The chill in the air will kill him!"

"That's another matter," Mr. Ages replied. "That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"And that big rat chased us away, but we must see Nicodemus!" Cherry grew animated. "The Owl told us to see Nicodemus!"

"Well, yes, perhaps you should--" Mr. Ages replied before his voice trailed off at first. "The owl said?"

Hesitantly, Mrs. Brisby nodded.

"Here now, what owl?" Mr. Ages asked. "What are you talking about?"

"We went to see the Great Owl." Atticus said.

"The Owl?" Mr. Ages asked. "You say you saw... The Owl?

"Is there an echo in here?" Cherry asked. "He said we should ask for Nicodemus."

"Er, yes, I know Nicodemus." Mr. Ages replied.

"You do?" Atticus asked.

"Aye." Mr. Ages nodded.

"Apparently he lives with the rats." Cherry said.

"More specifically, he is the leader of the rats," Mr. Ages replied. "No one has ever seen the Owl, and lived to tell about it!"

"Please, could you take us to see Nicodemus?" Mrs. Brisby soon asked. 

"Well, ye-e-ess, yes," Mr. Ages said before struggling for a moment. "But for your sake, I hope you're telling the truth! Come on."

"Trust me, if Atticus was lying he'd bite down on his lower lip and his eyes would go all shifty." Cherry told Mr. Ages.

Atticus narrowed his eyes.

"It's true." Cherry smirked to him.

"What about the large rat at the entrance?" Mrs. Brisby asked nervously. "I can't go back there. I can't."

"Oh, that's just Brutus," Mr. Ages said calmly. "Follow me."

Mrs. Brisby still hung back.

"Well? Come on!" Mr. Ages told her as Cherry and Atticus already followed him. 

Reluctantly, Mrs. Brisby followed the three other mice back through the curtain.

"Don't worry; everything will be alright." Atticus told her.

"Aren't you scared too?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"Maybe a little, but I've been trying to learn how to go through situations like this even if I feel just a bit scared." Cherry replied.

"Did Bruce teach you that?" Atticus asked.

"Selene... Oh, Atticus, it was so graphic with the werewolves and the vampires being arch rivals..." Cherry said about one of her more darker adventures.

"Wow." Atticus said.

Cherry shuddered a bit from that experience as a lot of crazy things happened as she went with Atticus, Mr. Ages, and Mrs. Brisby to find the one called Nicodemus.

"Jonathan, your wife has come at last. Perhaps now I can repay you for your kindness to me," An unfamiliar voice said as the group traveled together. "Yet Mrs. Brisby, who served the rats of NIMH far more than we her, Jenner I fear may do her harm, possibly also those young ones who are not from our world... Jenner is consumed by a lust for power. Thus far, the amulet has remained safely hidden, but if he finds it, Heaven help us."

"Did anyone else hear someone talking?" Atticus asked.

"Oh, you mean that little voice that tells me 'This is a bad idea, we should go back to Mo and Patch'?" Cherry replied.

"No, not that..." Atticus said to her. "I'm not sure who or what it is, but it's talking about someplace called NIMH."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about that name?" Cherry asked.

"What? NIMH?" Atticus replied.

"Yeah... It sounds... Ominous..." Cherry said.

"Well, we don't know anything yet, better keep going." Atticus replied.

Mr. Ages led the way, though he seemed to be limping a bit.

"What happened to your foot, Mr. Ages?" Atticus asked.

"That's none of your affair," Mr. Ages told him. "Now, to what you are about to see and hear, you must swear absolute secrecy."

"Yes, we unders--" Mrs. Brisby began. 

"Swear it!" Mr. Ages glared.

"We promise." The other mice replied.

"If any of this ever got out, we'd have humankind bulldozing their way down here to blow the place apart." Mr. Ages warned.

"We understand." Atticus said.

"Is it always so dark?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"We're down three feet." Mr. Ages told her.

Suddenly, the tunnel was lit with several electric lights of different colors. 

Mrs. Brisby gasped at the sight. "It's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!"

"This is amazing." Atticus said.

"Neat..." Cherry had to agree. "It's like a little city down here."

The chamber was revealed by the lights was quite large, and filled with a remarkable assortment of junk, most of it appearing to be children's toys. For example, a row of toy soldiers is lined up against the wall. Mrs. Brisby glanced at them briefly, then moved on. Behind her and Mr. Ages however, one of the soldiers opened its eyes. It was actually a large rat. He broke rank and crept up behind them, finally reaching out and grabbed Mr. Ages around the throat.

"Reveal thy name!" The rat hissed.

"Justin, you feather-head!" Mr. Ages glared a bit. "Get your hands off me!"

"Alright, alright, just a joke!" The rat chuckled a bit. "I didn't mean any harm. The meeting's already in progress. We also have a new member who insisted on joining in." He soon noticed Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry.

"What's this all about?" Mr. Ages demanded.

Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry already had noticed quite a bit about Justin. 

"Who, may I ask?" Justin asked.

"Yes, yes, they can be trusted," Mr. Ages replied. "This is no stranger. My friends, may I present Justin, the Captain of the Guard. Justin, Mrs. Brisby. Also Atticus and Cherry who seem to be far from home." 

"Not... Mrs. Jonathan Brisby!" Justin gasped about the widowed mouse. 

"I believe she said her name was Elizabeth." Cherry commented.

"I think he's referring to who Mrs. Brisby was married to." Atticus told her.

"Yes, the same." Mr. Ages soon told Justin about who Mrs. Brisby was. 

"It is an honor and a privilege, mi'lady." Justin said with a grand bow to the widowed mouse. 

"If we could dispense with the formalities...?" Mr. Ages suggested in a sarcastic way that could rival Cherry on a daily basis.

"How beautiful..." Mrs. Brisby said as she seemed to focus on the male rat. 

"Ma'am?" Justin replied.

"Oh! Er... The lights!" Mrs. Brisby covered up. "They're quite lovely."

'I bet that's what she meant.' Cherry thought to herself with smirk.

"Yes, they are," Justin smiled to Mrs. Brisby. "We've had electricity for four years now."

"Five." Mr. Ages corrected.

"Jonathan often spoke of electricity." Mrs. Brisby memorized.

"But you see, our shame is that we're stealing it, from Farmer Fitzgibbons." Justin then said.

"That makes sense of where all of this came from." Atticus said.

"Stealing?" Mrs. Brisby's face paled.

"All of that is going to change." Mr. Ages informed.

"He means we're working on a plan." Justin then explained.

"I mean, that we have a plan," Mr. Ages replied. "And this stealing will stop."

"That's good." Atticus smiled.

They were soon leading over to a deep hole in the ground.

"Now, your names are Atticus and Cherry?" Justin asked the childhood best friends.

"Yes, sir." The duo replied.

"Someone's been lookin' for you two." Justin told them.

"Would this someone's name be Drell?" Cherry asked.

"Yes, your father is here for you." Justin nodded.

"Father?" Cherry and Atticus replied.

"Well, I just thought, since he said he needed to find his children..." Justin shrugged as he didn't know Drell that well yet.

"Uh, yes, our father." Cherry said.

Atticus covered Cherry's mouth as she then looked like she was about to throw up about calling Drell her father.

"He's probably with the others right now... This way, if you please." Justin said, leading the way.

A lantern suspended from a cable was moored at the edge.

The others entered as Justin cast off the cable and leapt onto the lantern as it swung away from the edge. Then it dropped, into water, and continued down.

"Now... Oh, yes," Mr. Ages said to Justin. "Why did you send for me?"

"It's Jenner," Justin replied. "He's at it again."

"Hmm... There blows an ill wind." Mr. Ages then said.

"I'm guessing this Jenner fellow isn't exactly a pleasant guy." Atticus said.

"He's a big traitor is what he is." Mr. Ages nodded.

"He's before the Council now," Justin then told him. "This time he's attacking Nicodemus openly."

"And the plan, no doubt." Mr. Ages replied.

"Nothing will come of it," Justin reassured. "It'll pass."

"Beware, boy, he's dangerous," Mr. Ages warned him. "Jenner will be the undoing of the Rats of NIMH."

"Heh... Can't be worse than Professor Ratigan." Cherry commented.

"Maybe we came at a bad time." Atticus said.

"No, sweet boy, you are welcome here," Justin told him. "We tend to take ourselves a bit too seriously."

"Hmph." Atticus rolled his eyes a bit.

The group proceeded towards the Council chamber. The caverns were huge, arching, with extensive brickwork and rich appointments. The floors were paved. As they neared the chamber, the sounds of argument could already be heard. Drell was shown to be listening a bit from where he stood as he was given a special pin from Justin that would allow him to work with the other rats even if they didn't know him since he wasn't from here. But there was one rat that he didn't like and which was Jenner.

"The Plan is nothing but folly!" A councilman complained. "A doddering old fool's fantasy! Nicodemus would have us destroy this colony only to lead us to starvation in some wilderness!"

"Ahem. Good ol' Jenner." Justin remarked.

Mr. Ages paused outside the door. "Wait. Listen." he then told the others.

The others then began to do just that. 

"Moving to Thorn Valley is a good plan!" Drell spoke up as an honorary councilman.

"Fie! We have everything we need right here!" The dark rat known as Jenner retorted.

"And what about NIMH?" Drell asked.

"Well, come on, you suspicious old goat!" Justin said as he picked up Mr. Ages by the back of his shirt, walking into the chamber and deposited the old mouse back down.

"If we stay here, humans are bound to discover yo--I mean, us." Drell continued.

"Drell!" Cherry and Atticus gasped as they knew that voice anywhere.

"They'd destroy us on the spot!" Another councilman added. 

"I agree!" One councilman added.

"He's right. We'll be killed." Another councilman said.

"Not if we got them first!" Jenner retorted. 

"That's war, Jenner!" Drell told him. "Besides, they'd kill us before we'd have a chance to kill them."

"Hear me! The Thorn Valley Plan is the aspiration of idiots and dreamers!" Jenner retorted. "We--" he then suddenly turned and saw Justin and the others standing in the doorway before chuckling sarcastically. "We were just talking about you."

"That's refreshing, Jenner, usually you're screaming about us." Justin smirked.

After hearing what Justin said caused Drell and the council to chuckle.

"Who is that?" Jenner soon asked once he spotted the widowed mouse along with Atticus and Cherry. "You know the rules, there are no visitors allowed here."

Drell took a drink of some water he was given.

"May I present... Mrs. Jonathan Brisby along with Atticus and Cherry." Justin declared.

Mrs. Brisby curtsied shyly while Cherry also curtsied and Atticus bowed until Drell did a spit take at the last two names. The council began to murmur to each other after they heard Mrs. Brisby's married name. Drell soon came up to Atticus and Cherry.

"Drell." Cherry let out a small gasp.

"Kids!" Drell beamed, hugging them tightly. "Oh, I was so worried about you guys!"

"Oh, really?" Atticus narrowed his eyes. "Worried about US or your paycheck?"

Drell looked confused before Cherry whispered everything to him.

"You mean she...?" Drell asked, setting them down while Atticus glared, going back to Justin and Mrs. Brisby.

"Yeah." Cherry replied.

"And you guys...?"

"Yeah."

"So that's why...?"

"Yeah." 

"What did I tell you about Della?" Drell replied firmly to her.

"I'm sorry!" Cherry replied. "I didn't know! I swear! Until Kimba helped me."

"Wait, what about Kimba?" Atticus asked her.

Cherry glanced over a bit.

"Don't worry, Cherry, I'll listen to you," Atticus smiled before glaring. "We'll just avoid the elephant in the room."

"ELEPHANT?!" Drell glared back. "Why, you--! If you weren't my student, I'd--"

Cherry soon told Atticus everything that Kimba told her and showed her. Drell still growled a bit since Atticus called him an "elephant".

"Are you sure?" Atticus asked.

"Kimba would never lie to me," Cherry reminded. "I almost lost him."

Atticus frowned before smiling nervously at Drell after finding out the truth. Drell looked beyond angry as he breathed in and out.

"Ah.... Hahahah... We had a good laugh, huh?" Atticus chuckled nervously, but he could see that Drell wasn't laughing. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" he then asked. "Hey, is this about that elephant in the room thing? That's a metaphor."

Drell glanced to Cherry.

"He's right," Cherry said. "It's usually an issue that needs to be talked about. He's not calling you an elephant."

"Well, then he's safe for now." Drell said.

"Phew..." Atticus sighed in relief. 

"I never thought I'd say this, but it's so good to see you!" Cherry said to Drell. "Where have you been?"

"I'm a rat," Drell said, reminding them. "Rats and mice don't get along in these parts."

"And where Della knew that and turned you into a rat on purpose." Atticus glared.

"Now do you believe me about her?!" Drell glared back.

"Why do you two hate each other so much?" Cherry asked. 

"We've been rivals since 5th grade," Drell snorted, rolling his eyes. "I was told around then that I'd be the Head of the Witch's Council once my mother would retire since one of the rules is that the eldest child of the current head will take over unless that person decides to pass it onto someone else they believe is worthy or to pass the election."

"Okay?" Atticus asked, hoping Drell would keep going.

"We've just always competed," Drell said as he made them sit down with him. "There was even a great competition we both faced that happened quite some time ago that I think you both would know too well."

We are shown a memory of some time ago with Drell and Della in a building together, glaring to each other a bit before Della beamed innocently as Enchantra came in.

"Drell, Della, the dream-bender and Wiccan of the Sea have been born!" Enchantra informed the two. "Their names are Cherry and Atticus."

"Oh, wonderful!" Della smiled.

"Act!" Cherry's voice glared.

"I'll go spread the news to everybody." Della beamed as she walked off.

Drell growled a bit, shaking his fists before looking to Enchantra, trying to keep himself together. "So, who's going to look after those little munchkins?" he then asked.

"Well, I was thinking someone responsible... Someone reliable... Someone who would be perfect for the job..." Enchantra said as Drell sucked that up like he was bashful and thankful, but then got quickly disappointed. "Someone like... Della."

"What?!" Drell gasped.

Enchantra walked off.

"Uh, hey, Enchantra," Drell said, taking her hand. "Why pick Della when you have someone like me?"

"Oh, Drell, you don't even like children, it would be a better idea if we went with Della instead of you," Enchantra said as Della looked back to him, hiding an evil smirk that only he saw. "They'll be in much better hands this way."

"Wow, her acting was even good back then as it is now." Atticus's voice said.

"She was a giant pain in the--" Drell's voice replied.

"As I was saying... Della will be a better fit, and--" Enchantra told Drell.

"Della, I'm gonna babysit the little punks!" Drell soon interrupted, sounding like an impatient child. "And it's gonna be lots of fun!" he then crossed his arms with a smirk. "Ha! You're not the boss of me, Enchantra."

Della narrowed her eyes to him, and soon, a contract was made up, signed, and soon stamped in approval to let Drell become Cherry and Atticus's magical guardian before he soon took his crystal ball to look to the two babies, currently unaware of the lives they were about to lead.

"So that's how you became our magical guardian." Atticus's voice said.

"Yes," Drell replied back in present day. "I considered it my honor and duty, especially since your father is an old friend of mine, Atticus."

"So you two did hang out." Atticus commented.

"Oh, yeah... I was a little jealous though when he was close with Wart AKA Arthur before the pulling of Excalibur." Drell replied.

"You were jealous?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, well, I've known Patrick longer, so when he started hanging around that Wart kid, I kinda felt left out when I would be studying magic with Madam Mim." Drell replied.

"Never thought you'd get jealous." Cherry said.

"Pfft..." Drell scoffed a bit. "You kiddin'? I always get jealous whenever Hilda's around another guy, especially when we scheduled to have a date, but she blew me off for some pirate at a dance and I turned him into a goat for the rest of the dance once I found her."

"At least he admitted it," Cherry smirked a bit. "And at least this rat thing can't get worse."

"My, my... This child looks familiar..." A familiar voice to Cherry spoke.

"No... I-It can't be..." Cherry's face paled with wide eyes. "He's supposed to be dead!"

Atticus and Drell soon protected Cherry.

"Who are we afraid of this time?" Drell asked Cherry.

Cherry stammered and stuttered as she didn't want to say the name because she didn't want to believe it.

"Spit it out!" Drell told her.

Cherry let out a very big gulp as she shivered, still unable to say it.

"Ah... A very good, though new friend of mine..." Jenner smirked as his partner soon arrived. "Professor Padraic Ratigan."

Cherry soon hid as a rat as big as Jenner walked in.

"Ratigan!" Atticus glared.

"Have we met?" Ratigan asked him.

"No, but I remember Cherry telling me about you when she met Basil the Great Mouse Detective!" Atticus glared.

"Ah, so you must be a friend of hers." Ratigan smirked at him before seeing Cherry behind Atticus and Drell.

"Yeah!" Atticus glared. "As long as I'm around, you're not going anywhere near her!"

"Your boyfriend is interesting, Cherry." Ratigan smirked.

Atticus and Cherry soon glanced to each other before grimacing in disgust about the idea of dating each other.

"They're not dating." Drell said.

"I'd rather lick Drell's shoes than kiss Atticus." Cherry said.

"Wow. Thanks." Atticus deadpanned.

"Ratigan, what are you doing here?" Cherry demanded, though kept hiding behind Atticus and Drell as she felt like she was seeing a ghost. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Greatly exaggerated." Ratigan smirked innocently.

"I saved him before he could hit the ground." Jenner said.

"Why did you do that?!" Cherry cried out. "He nearly killed me and Olivia Flaversham!"

"Oh, but I can be a changed rat," Ratigan smirked to her a bit. "I'm also here to help out Jenner since we both share a plan about what to do, especially with you little mice involved."

"I'll never trust you, even if my life depended on it," Cherry glared at him. "You... You... RAT!"

'3, 2, 1.' Drell thought to himself.

Ratigan looked very angry, grabbing a hold of Cherry and shook her violently. "YOU LISTEN TO ME! I AM NOT A RAT! I'M NOT A RAT!"

"Waaaugh! This just proves my point!" Cherry cried out.

"Old pal, what did we talk about?" Jenner asked Ratigan.

"Hmm... You're right..." Ratigan said, dropping Cherry as he began to count backwards from 10.

"Now shall we get back to the matter at hand?" Jenner asked the council.

"Yes, we shall..." Ratigan replied. "If you'll excuse me, Cherry."

Cherry still looked very uncomfortable to see Ratigan had come back since he hadn't seen him since Basil defeated him and saved her, along with himself, Dawson, and Olivia.

"You said her name was Brisby?" A short, burly spoke up about the widowed mouse.

"Yes?" Cherry and Atticus replied.

"Jonathan Brisby is dead!" The rat then said.

"This is his wife!" Atticus told the rat while gesturing to Mrs. Brisby.

"She's not one of us," Jenner glared. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Send her away." A councilman suggested.

"Let's get back to business!" Another councilman added.

"Wait, wait! She has been to see the Great Owl along with these younger mice!" Mr. Ages spoke up. "He has told her that we could move the Brisby home to safety." 

"Her home was Jonathan's home." Justin then added.

"We have urgent problems of our own," The big rat soon said. "Let the lower creatures fend for themselves!" 

A loud argument then broke out in the council.

"Order!" The head council rat demanded.

Jenner's closer colleague known as Sullivan was about to do something until he was stopped.

"Wait, my friend," Jenner smirked eagerly. "I smell an opportunity."

"What?" Sullivan and Ratigan asked.

"Maneuvers of this nature are dangerous," Jenner hinted. "Accidents could happen..."

"I think I know where you're going with this, Jenner." Ratigan smirked quietly.

"Jenner?" Drell called. 

"Accidents?" Sullivan replied from Jenner's statement.

"Jenner?!" Drell called louder this time.

"I'll explain later," Jenner replied before beaming to the widowed mouse. "Mrs. Brisby! A thousand pardons, my dear! Forgive the ill temper of my colleague. It would be an honor to assist Jonathan's widow in any way. We are but your humble servants."

'What is he up to?' Atticus thought to himself.

"And... Uh... These kids?" Drell glared, gesturing to Atticus and Cherry.

"The same for them." Ratigan grinned.

Cherry yelped a bit, hiding behind Drell and Atticus again from Ratigan's grin.

"Th-Thank you." Mrs. Brisby said shyly.

The other councilmen of rats soon agreed to letting Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby stay and be taken care of from Jenner and Ratigan's word.

'They're up to something.' Atticus thought to himself.

Ratigan soon looked he was about to go to Cherry. Drell growled to him, a bit protectively as he stood in front of the perky goth like a bodyguard.

"I might not know you, but you better stay away from my friend," Atticus told Ratigan sharply. "Reformed or not."

"You better listen to him." Drell added.

"Oh... Very well... You stay comfortable, Cherry..." Ratigan grinned.

"I'd rather you not be here at all." Cherry muttered to herself.

"They're up to something," Mr. Ages said to Justin and Drell about Jenner and Ratigan. "Take Mrs. Brisby and those children to the library. We'll approach Nicodemus when the meeting's over."

"Sounds like a plan." Atticus said.

Justin and Drell soon moved the mice into the other room while Mr. Ages remained, eyeing Jenner suspiciously.

"Motion carried." The councilmen soon decided.


	5. Chapter 5

"Children, how are you feeling?" Drell asked, putting his around around Atticus and Cherry. "Tired? Weak?"

"Actually, I feel stronger after seeing Kimba in my latest dream when Della tried to take him away from me." Cherry replied.

"And I feel like a brand new man or in this case, mouse." Atticus said.

"So... You're still strong?" Drell asked him.

"Mm-hmm," Atticus nodded. "You wanna try to wrestle me and see what happens?"

"For your sake, I should," Drell replied. "I've been trying to warn you guys lately that Della is not kind. She's just trying to drain your magic and power source so she can take over ALL of the realms and become the ultimate dictator. I've known her since 5th grade when we were sorta seeing each other back then."

"5th grade? I guess that wasn't when you left Hilda at the altar." Cherry replied.

"No, that was before I met Hilda... I didn't meet her until a couple of years later during the first Thanksgiving." Drell said before stretching as Atticus went to do the same.

"Wow." Atticus said as he also stretched.

"I'm just really glad you're both okay." Drell said.

"Because of your job?" Atticus asked, expecting a bit of a selfish response.

"Because you're my kids..." Drell replied. "You may not be my son and daughter, but I've really grown attached to you two over the years. I know I'm a bit of a jerk, and kind of a bully to you guys, but... I really love you like my own children, even if I'm sore about babysitting you all the time since you guys first met Cinderella."

"Really?" Atticus asked.

"I... Kinda secretly wanted to adopt you guys..." Drell said bashfully, rubbing his arm a bit. "Sorta like my old buddy, Vincent van Ghoul... He's always wanted a child of his own... So he took in a young ward."

"Oh, yeah," Cherry remembered meeting him and a lot more after that. "Flim-Flam."

"So, ready, Drell?" Atticus asked.

"All right... Enough distractions..." Drell replied as he stood up straight. "Cherry? Move!"

Cherry soon ran out of the way to sit comfortably to watch them in the distance so she wouldn't get hurt.

"All right... Let's dance." Atticus smirked.

"Ladies first." Drell smirked back before running up to him and football tackled him onto the floor.

Atticus grunted slightly before lifting Drell up with his god strength.

"Come on, come on..." Drell smirked a bit.

"Gaugh... Ugh... Grr..." Atticus grunted before he soon lifted up the warlock. "Aha!"

"Oh, thank goodness." Drell whispered in relief that Atticus was strong again.

Atticus smirked as he balanced Drell from his right hand to his left.

"Okay, stop showing off." Drell said as he looked a little cynical now.

Atticus smiled bashfully and then set him down.

"Atticus..." Drell called.

"Yes, sir?" Atticus replied nervously.

"I've never been more happy to lose a fight in my whole life." Drell smiled before holding out his paw to be shaken since Atticus was able to keep up his strength, even after spending time with Della.

Atticus smiled back before shaking Drell's paw. The two shook a bit firmly before letting go and they shared a quick hug with each other.

"I just hope that Timothy will be okay without Mrs. Brisby," Cherry said to them. "I mean... He's sick enough as it is... His mother's gone..."

"Don't you worry your little head," Drell told her. "We'll help out, especially once you guys see Nicodemus. Ya know, Cherry, I think you need to see what's going to happen to Mrs. Brisby when you guys see that old rat."

"Okay." Cherry said.

"It might be good for you..." Drell said. "I'm just glad you kids are safe... Are Mo and Patch okay too?"

"Uh... They seemed to be... They're looking after Martin, Teresa, and Cynthia right now." Cherry replied.

"Well, I guess they're in good... Paws then..." Drell said before looking to his hands, remembering they were rodents now, so he couldn't really say "hands".

"Della's also with them." Atticus said.

"YOU LEFT DELLA ALONE WITH MO AND PATCH?!" Drell yelped.

"We didn't know she was bad!" Atticus reminded nervously.

"Great!" Drell face-pawed. "She's gonna take Mo's forces of nature powers, and Patch's.... Uhh... Familiarity, I guess?"

"I hope they're alright." Cherry said.

"I hope so too..." Drell replied. "Anyway... You'll meet Nicodemus soon..."

Cherry and Atticus both looked nervous and hopeful about that since they didn't know what to expect from Nicodemus as Cherry tried to shake off her fear of Professor Ratigan.

Unfortunately, Jeremy wasn't having much luck with the kids as he was being tied up by his own string by the Shrew.

"Should we help him?" Patch asked, referring to Jeremy.

"I'm not sure..." Mo replied. "Kids seem to be having fun."

"Yeah, but the Shrew doesn't seem to trust him." Patch said.

"I don't think the Shrew likes anybody." Mo rolled her eyes as Auntie Shrew made her think a little of Aunt Sarah.

Martin soon pulled on the string to tie Jeremy's beak shut.

"But Martin..." Teresa spoke up. 

"Hey, Mom helped a crow in the field the day before yesterday." Martin told her.

"And this is him." Patch said.

Jeremy then started to make excited noises.

"He's trying to talk!" Cynthia pointed out.

"He looks like a loony." Teresa commented.

"He even took her to see the Great Owl!" Martin then said.

"So?" Teresa replied.

"Patch is right!" Martin told her. "This could be the same crow!"

"That's because he is." Mo said.

"You saw him too?" Martin asked.

Mo and Patch nodded as they remembered Jeremy from when they first came home with Mrs. Brisby. Martin then undid the string to free the clumsy crow from the trap, but all the way just yet. 

"That's me all--...Whew!" Jeremy said in relief once he was freed. "I am the crow. Untie me quick, I can't stand it!"

"Just hold still." Mo told him.

Jeremy soon tried to hold still while Mo and Patch took care of him. Della was lurking about, glancing to Mo and Patch from a distance, looking a bit cold and dark as Lady Tremaine.

"What are you doing here?" Teresa asked the crow.

"Oh, it's a good question, but don't ask," Jeremy replied before yelping. "The legs... The legs... THE LEGS!" he then cried out.

"Jeremy, hold it!" Mo and Patch told him, but the crow slowly teetered over and fell on his face. 

"Aw, the poor turkey fell down." Cynthia pouted.

"He's a crow." Patch said as he and Mo kept trying to getting Jeremy free completely.

Martin glared at Jeremy like he was a villain. "He took our mom, didn't he?" he then asked.

"Martin, Jeremy isn't going to hurt anyone," Mo told him as she helped Jeremy. "You trying to be brave, huh?"

"Well, someone has to be man of the house since Dad's not here." Martin said.

"Well, being brave is a good thing." Patch said.

Martin smirked smugly.

"But you have a long way to go." Patch then said. 

"Hmph." Martin huffed, crossing his arms to that.

"Where's our mother?!" Teresa asked the crow. 

"You big buzzard, where's our mother?" Martin demanded before jumping onto Jeremy and started tickling him.

"Wait! Hold it! No! Stop!" Jeremy cried out.

"What have you done with her?" Teresa asked.

"You're tickling!" Jeremy laughed.

"You'd better tell me, or I'll tie you back up again!" Martin threatened.

"The... The rosebush! To... To see the rats with those others, Atticus and Cherry!" Jeremy soon confessed between laughs.

"Oh, dear..." Della gasped.

"Aunt Della?" Mo and Patch asked, looking over to the witch woman.

"Oh, goodness... I hope that they'll be all right... Rats are dangerous around here." Della said to them. "For all our safety, we best stay here and not go out to try and be a hero."

"Did you take our mother and our new friends to the rats?" Teresa asked Jeremy then. 

"Well, I'm going to go look for them." Martin decided, about to storm off, but got blocked by Jeremy. 

"No, no, listen, hold it, waitaminute," Jeremy said nervously, though Martin climbed over his legs, so he tried to shake the young mouse off of him. "The rats, they're friendly! Good! Tonight... Stay! They're coming here to move your house where it's safe! Understand? Sta-a-ay.... The Owl said they're good and smart. Get it?"

"You're right," Martin said to his sister. "He's a loony."

"Oh, no.. No, don't... You must... No, don't do this!..." Jeremy cried out as Martin tried to tie his beak shut again.

"We gotta help Atticus and Cherry." Mo told Patch before walking off as Della jumped in front of the door with an innocent grin.

"Oh, but it's too dangerous; I'm sure they'll be alright on their own." Della said.

"But they're our friends," Mo frowned. "Aunt Della, shouldn't we help our friends?"

"No, no, no," Della said, pushing Mo and Patch back inside. "Why don't you children play a game or something? I'll make us all some tea to soothe our worries. Maybe afterwards, you can take a nap."

"But they're our friends, we can't just stay here." Patch frowned.

Della soon put them in the other room and walked off to make tea.

"Drell wouldn't make us sit back and watch... He'd want us to help our friends..." Mo said.

"Yeah..." Patch nodded before sighing. "I miss him."

"...Me too..." Mo had to admit. "Why did he abandon us?"

"Oh, children, don't worry about that miserable old warlock," Della smiled innocently as she made some tea. "You're with Aunt Della now, and she'll keep you happy and safe."

"But we can't just sit here." Patch frowned.

"It'll be fine... Just sit there... I'll give you your tea." Della told them calmly as she went to the kitchen.

Mo and Patch looked to each other as they felt like they had no choice.

"I have to go after Atticus," Patch then said. "It's my noble duty as his dog."

"We'll have to sneak out while Aunt Della is in the kitchen." Mo whispered to him.

"Yeah." Patch whispered back.

Della soon went in the kitchen to make some tea, but of course, hid some special ingredients in it, humming to herself like a happy housewife as she made up an innocent act when Atticus and Cherry now knew the truth. Patch and Mo soon snuck out and to go and find Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby. Luckily, the kids weren't around so they wouldn't get busted for sneaking out.

"Sorry, Aunt Della." Mo whispered on the way out with Patch.

"I'm sure Atticus isn't hurt and he is making sure that Cherry isn't either." Patch smiled to Mo.

"True." Mo nodded.

They soon found a way out and began to go and find Atticus and Cherry.

"I never thought I'd miss Drell too..." Mo said. "I mean... He's only doing a job... He doesn't really care about us, does he? He always tells us that we're just the students and he's the teacher."

"But if that's true, then why does my heart tell me something else?" Patch frowned.

"What's your heart telling you, boy?" Mo asked with a gentle smile.

"To go after Atticus and Cherry... To stay loyal to Drell..." Patch replied. "Yeah, he's kind of a jerk sometimes, especially whenever we mess something up, and he did tell us that Della was dangerous even though she's been nothing but kind to us, but... I can't ignore my instincts, being a dog. You know how an excellent judge of character we can be."

"You sure can be." Mo nodded.

"Come on... Let's go before Aunt Della realizes we're gone," Patch replied. "If she really cared about us, she would understand."

Mo and Patch then began to leave the Brisby home.

"Oh, children?~ Aunt Della made you some nice, warm tea~..." Della called out like a songbird as she carried a tray of cups of tea with some pillows and blankets like she expected them to fall asleep after drinking the tea. "...Children?" she then looked around before seeing Mo and Patch were gone. "WHAAAAT?! No! They can't leave!" She soon looked outside and saw that Mo and Patch did leave. She soon seemed to growl as her eyes flashed a crimson color before she used her magic to shoot an energy bubble at them to catch them. Unfortunately for her, she kept missing as their Equestrian magic blocked her magic. She soon growled and let out a shriek in frustration.

Patch shook chills from the shriek, but kept going, not letting anything or anyone stop him and Mo.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ages led the others to go and see Nicodemus through the tunnels towards the rat's chambers.

"Now don't tire him out." Mr. Ages told them.

"No." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"Be brief." Mr. Ages said.

"Yes." Atticus replied.

"Say what you want and leave." Mr. Ages then said.

"Yes, sir." Cherry nodded.

"We won't be a bother." Mrs. Brisby added.

"Justin bothers him enough with all his silly nonsense," Mr. Ages commented before coming to a stop. "Here we are."

"Thank you, Mr. Ages." Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry replied.

"I don't know what Nicodemus sees in that boy..." Mr. Ages said under his breath before looking to them again as he went to walk away. "I'll come back for you. Brief!" he then reminded quickly.

"He sure likes to remind us." Cherry said.

"He's pretty persistent, huh?" Atticus replied.

"Mm..." Cherry said. "...Atticus, I kinda missed Drell when he was gone... Is that weird?"

"I don't think so..." Atticus replied. "I missed him too actually."

Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry soon went to the door. Mrs. Brisby reached for the handle which depressed itself before she could touch it. 

"Eerie..." Cherry muttered.

The door opened, and a flood of light and force streamed out of it for several seconds. Mrs. Brisby braced herself against it as it tried to push them back. Then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. The three mice then cautiously peered out to the door while getting back up.

"Come closer, my children," A voice called to them. "Don't be frightened."

"Yes, sir." Atticus said.

"Must be Nicodemus..." Cherry commented. "Either that or someone changed their voice."

Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry soon approached the figure of Nicodemus who was sitting on an ornate throne in the center of the room.

"Sir... The, uh... The Great Owl sent us to you." Mrs. Brisby said nervously. 

"Oh, did he? He is a dear comrade..." Nicodemus replied. "Closer."

Mrs. Brisby gulped, but soon obeyed the order with Atticus and Cherry, coming right up to the throne.

"Ah, Mrs. Jonathan Brisby," Nicodemus recognized the widowed mouse. "What an honor this is."

"You know about Mrs. Brisby?" Cherry asked.

"I guess Mr. Brisby was very popular and important, huh?" Atticus commented.

"How... How is it that everyone kn-knows Jonathan?" Mrs. Brisby soon asked.

"He was a great friend to the Rats of NIMH," Nicodemus stated. "He himself came from NIMH."

"NIMH... There's that word again..." Cherry commented. 

"Your Majesty, my family is--" Mrs. Brisby soon began.

"I know of your needs," Nicodemus interrupted until he gestured to a book sitting on a desk against the wall. "There is a book there. Read the words."

"Um, okay." Atticus said.

"Mrs. Brisby, you can read, right?" Cherry asked the widowed mouse.

"I can read, a little. Jonathan taught me," Mrs. Brisby replied. "The children are better..."

The book raised from the desk, and opened itself with light streaming from the pages, much to the shock of Mrs. Brisby, Atticus, and Cherry.

"Than... Than I am..." Mrs. Brisby's voice trailed off nervously. 

"Read." Nicodemus told her. 

Mrs. Brisby soon went to read with Atticus and Cherry, though it was tough to get to the part of the widow's late husband. "'Jonathan Brisby made possible the rats' escape from the terrible cruelty of NIMH. He was killed today while drugging the farmer's cat, Dragon'." they then began, revealing how exactly Jonathan had died.

"Whoa." Atticus frowned.

"Gosh... I-I'm so sorry, Mrs. Brisby..." Cherry said softly.

"Oh, I... I never knew... Just what happened," Mrs. Brisby grew emotional. "Why did he never tell me about any of you? Why?"

"To answer that, I must tell you about NIMH, and our Plan. Go! Look there!" Nicodemus replied before pointing to a device in the corner.

Atticus and Cherry took a look as they saw what looked like a rough globe set in an ornate flame before it began to spin faster and faster. 

"Is this a crystal ball?" Cherry asked.

"Something like that... You both have a right to know this too..." Nicodemus said to the duo.

The globe began to show a scene. The three mice soon came to take a look into the globe, seeing many images appear as Nicodemus told them a story.

"In the beginning, we were ordinary street rats, stealing our daily bread and living off the efforts of man's work. We were captured, put in cages, and sent to a place called NIMH. There were many animals there in cages," Nicodemus began. "They were put through the most unspeakable tortures to satisfy some scientific curiosity. Often at night I would hear them, crying out in anguish. 20 rats and eleven mice were given injections... Our world began changing..."

We see nightmarish images of rats writhing in pain as their DNA twisted and exploded.

Cherry looked disgusted as Mrs. Brisby and Atticus looked horrified. 

"Then one night I looked upon the words under the cage door, and understood them," Nicodemus continued. "We had become intelligent. We could read." 

We see a sign that reads "TO OPEN DOOR LIFT LATCH." A rat's hand reached out of the cage and lifted it. The door swung open with a creak. Soon, all the rats and mice began escaping from their cages.

"The miracle was kept secret from the scientists, and in the quiet of the night, we escaped through the ventilation system," Nicodemus continued as a brave brown mouse was shown which was quite familiar to Mrs. Brisby. "The mice were blown away, sucked down dark air-shafts to their deaths. All except two; Jonathan and Mr. Ages. We were trapped by a locked door on the roof. It was Jonathan who made possible the unlocking of the door."

"Mr. Brisby." Cherry realized. 

Jonathan wriggled through a wire cover over the end of the air duct. The cover fell free and we see Jonathan sitting on top of the vent, looking very pleased with himself.

'Now I see why my bravery reminds Mrs. Brisby of Jonathan.' Atticus thought to himself.

Mrs. Brisby sighed as the image of her dead husband soon faded.

"I have a gift. Come," Nicodemus told Mrs. Brisby. "Jonathan meant it for you."

Atticus and Cherry followed behind to see what he had. Nicodemus opened up a box and opened it as it contained an amulet and lifted it out and the box soon floated away. 

"Oh... It's so beautiful!" Mrs. Brisby beamed.

"Sure looks bright and red." Cherry said.

"It sleeps." Nicodemus informed.

"Sleeps?" Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby repeated curiously. 

"Yes. When worn by one with a courageous heart, the Stone glows red," Nicodemus explained. "It becomes a blinding radiance. Courage of the heart is very rare. The Stone has a power when it's there."

"Well, then Atticus's heart must be extremely rare then." Cherry said.

Atticus smiled a little bashfully from that. "Ah, come on, Cherry, you have courage too," he then told her. "I don't think Batman would've chosen you to be his goddaughter if you weren't courageous."

"Sure... In a city like Gotham, you gotta be brave, but you're braver than I am..." Cherry said softly. "I always run away from danger, and you always go to it. What does that prove?"

"That you're braver than you believe." Atticus advised through comfort.

"Really?" Cherry asked.

"I know you are, Cherry..." Atticus told his oldest friend. "You stand up to people."

"Sure, with sharp words and comebacks." Cherry shrugged.

"Also you can fight thanks to not only Batman, but now Chun-Li and Luna," Atticus smiled. "Your bravery's in there somewhere. You just have to let it out."

"He is correct, young one." Nicodemus told her.

"Heh... Might be easier said than done..." Cherry commented.

"Look! An inscription," Mrs. Brisby said before reading it aloud from the amulet. "'You can unlock any door if you only have the key'."

Atticus smiled hopefully to Cherry while she soon looked thoughtful to take that as life advice.

"Oh, thank you," Mrs. Brisby then told Nicodemus. "I will treasure it always."

"Jonathan never told you about NIMH because the injections slowed the aging process," Nicodemus told Mrs. Brisby, putting the amulet on around her neck. "You see, you would have grown old while he remained young."

"Whoa." Atticus said.

There was then a knock at the door before they saw Drell and Justin sticking their heads in.

"Nicodemus? The boats are ready and waiting," Justin told the elderly and wise rat. "We can leave any time."

"Good..." Nicodemus nodded before standing and held out his hand which made his staff float over to him. "My child, shall we journey to your home?" he then asked of Mrs. Brisby. 

"Sir?" Mrs. Brisby asked. 

"Tonight we shall move your house to the protected side of the stone." Nicodemus told the widowed mouse.

"The lee in the stone?" Cherry guessed.

"Yes." Nicodemus nodded.

"Thought so." Cherry replied.

As the three mice and Nicodemus left his chamber, Jenner and Ratigan were watching from around a corner.

"I don't get it, Jenner." Sullivan spoke up.

"With Nicodemus out of the way, what's to stop us from taking over?" Jenner replied wickedly.

"Nothing." Ratigan smirked.

"Jenner, Ratigan, you can't kill Nicodemus!" Sullivan gasped to the other two.

"No taste for blood, eh?" Jenner replied. "They've taken the animal out of you."

"What if we're discovered?" Sullivan asked.

"Ach, listen. The Brisby house is a large cement block," Jenner explained. "In the moving, what if it should fall?"

"An accident?" Sullivan then asked.

"Of course!" Ratigan grinned eagerly, rubbing his paws together fiendishly. "Cut the lines, and the weight of it will crush his bones! It's just a shame old Basil and Dawson couldn't be here for that..." he then sighed in slight dismay.

"Yes, too bad indeed." Jenner added.

"It's risky..." Sullivan said, a bit squeamishly.

"Once rid of Nicodemus, the Plan will die," Jenner replied. "We can stay here as long as we like!"

"What... What about Justin?" Sullivan asked then.

"Leave him to me..." Jenner then smirked a bit.

"And as for Drell, I shall take care of him." Ratigan smirked.

This spelled trouble for everybody, but they were unaware of it right now.

On an underground lake, Nicodemus, Atticus, Cherry, and Mrs. Brisby were riding in a gondola being poled along by Justin.

"Sometimes, when we have a large project that takes us into the open, Mr. Ages makes up a sleeping powder to give to Dragon." Justin informed.

"How do you get him to take it?" Cherry wondered.

"Someone must go into the farmhouse kitchen and put it in his dish," Justin informed. "The only way into the kitchen is through a tiny hole in the floor. Ages tried it yesterday. That's how he--" 

"Broke his leg?" Atticus guessed. 

"Right." Justin then nodded.

"Ouch." Atticus winced.

A large chunk of rock suddenly fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing the boat, making it rock wildly for a second.

"That was close." Justin said in relief.

"What the heck was that?!" Cherry asked a little nervously. 

"The mill. It's falling apart," Justin replied. "Hope it stays up there, at least until we've done with the Plan."

"The Plan? What is the plan?" Atticus asked.

"To live without stealing, of course." Nicodemus replied.

"It's wrong to take electricity from the farmer." Justin added.

"Sounds fair enough." Cherry replied.

"My children, we can no longer live as rats," Nicodemus told the group. "We know too much."

"We're almost there." Justin soon said as he poled the boat to shore, and got out to tie it off. 

The cavern ends behind the same waterfall that Atticus had fallen into while running from Dragon from much earlier.

"And where we have help to make sure the plan succeeds." Justin said.

"Well, you know we're here to help, Justin." Cherry said, trying to sound strong and brave like her best friend.

"That's very good of you." Justin approved.

"Um, Your Majesty?" Mrs. Brisby spoke up a bit nervously. "I should go prepare the children, for tonight."

"We shall wait here until dark..." Nicodemus told her. 

"So who's going to drug Dragon?" Atticus asked.

"I volunteer! For Dragon." Mrs. Brisby then said.

"Uh... Ma'am?" Cherry asked out of concern. "Are you sure?"

"I must." Mrs. Brisby replied.

"Oh, no, Mrs. Brisby!" Justin sounded just as concerned. "Nicodemus, this is no job for her!"

"If this is her decision, then we have to respect it." Atticus said.

"Please." Mrs. Brisby then said.

"As you wish." Nicodemus allowed to the widowed mouse.

Justin heaved a heavy sigh. "All right. I'll meet you at the west side of the farmhouse at dusk." he then told her. 

"Thank you," Mrs. Brisby said before walking away, speaking under her breath. "I must be crazy. Goodbye!... I must be crazy..."

"One of us should go with her." Atticus said.

Cherry looked to him in deep thought. "I'll go." she then said.

"Cherry, are you sure?" Atticus asked.

"Atticus... I may not be as brave or strong or smart as you, but... I think that I should go with Mrs. Brisby..." Cherry volunteered herself. "We both need to learn a strong and valuable lesson in courageousness."

"Alright." Atticus nodded.

Cherry swallowed thickly before they went to go with Mrs. Brisby. Atticus smiled proudly as they went off as the other boats got ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Running home along a pond, Mrs. Brisby's eye was caught by a water lily drifting a little faster than it ought to be. It bumped into the shore near her, and a small pipe sticking out from underneath went astray. A second later, a certain crow emerges from underneath the lily, coughing.

"This guy again?!" Cherry complained. "Jeremy, what are you doing here?! And why do you have a water lily?"

"Shh! I'm being followed!" Jeremy warned.

"Followed?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"Shhh-hhh! There's a crazy lady with a hat! She's got big teeth! She tied me up!" Jeremy replied in a panic before his eye was caught by the amulet around Mrs. Brisby's neck. "And then I--Oh! Ooh... A sparkly!"

"A sparkly?" Atticus asked.

"You're wearing a sparkly!" Jeremy beamed to Mrs. Brisby. "Can I hold? Oh, please, can I?"

"No, Jeremy, you can't have it; this is Mrs. Brisby's." Cherry said.

"Jeremy, listen," Mrs. Brisby told the crow as he looked entranced by the amulet. "We need lots and lots of string to move the block!"

"Move... The block..." Jeremy said before snapping out of it. "Hey! I got string! I've been saving 'em!"

"Really?" Atticus smiled.

"Oh, sure, red ones, blue ones, green, yellow--" Jeremy replied.

"Pay attention!" Mrs. Brisby then told him. 

Jeremy's head snapped back down to the sparkly amulet.

"Go get all the string you can." Cherry told the clumsy crow. 

"Okay..." Jeremy said before he suddenly realized what he just agreed to. "But that'll take all day!"

"Good! Get going!" Cherry then urged, clapping her paws together.

"Yeah, because we'll need all the string you have." Atticus said before getting tackled by Mo from out of nowhere.

"Atticus?!" Cherry soon laughed, cupping her mouth a bit.

Atticus glanced up at her for laughing before looking up. "Mo?" he then asked.

"Finally found you three." Mo smiled.

"Mo." Atticus smiled back before hugging her.

Mo beamed in the hug before they broke apart.

"There's something you should know about Della." Atticus then frowned seriously.

"What about Della?" Patch asked he came over.

"She is not what she seems." Cherry said.

"She's not?" Patch asked.

"She's... She's using us," Cherry replied. "She's trying to drain our magic and life source."

"What?!" Patch and Mo gasped.

"Drell told us." Atticus said.

"Oh, he did?" Mo glared. "Then why did he say that he really didn't care about us?"

"Della was trying to trick us all," Cherry said. "She doesn't care about anybody else and she just wants to drain everybody to become The Supreme Ruler of All of the Realms! She's worse than Sombra!"

"Um, did you say drain everyone?" Patch asked nervously. "Even those who don't have magic?"

"She might even go that route if we're not careful!" Cherry replied. "She's been trying to trick us! Oh, this is all my fault." she then said.

"Oh, Cherry, it isn't." Atticus said.

"Yes, it is!" Cherry frowned. "I met Della at the Spa, I talked to her, I told her everything, and we wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't talked to her in the first place."

"Cherry, you couldn't have known." Atticus frowned back.

"Ugh... I feel so stupid..." Cherry sulked.

"Don't blame yourself, we all listened to her," Mo tried to help soothe her. "It's not your fault though."

"That's right," Patch nodded. "Although it was stupid of me and Mo for leaving the kids alone with Della."

Cherry bit her lip a bit.

"...You don't think Della would drain the Brisby kids, do you?" Mo asked nervously.

"What can she take?" Cherry replied, a bit anxiously herself. "They're just plain old mouse kids."

"That's true." Mo said.

"I'm just sorry, guys..." Cherry said. "She played me like a fiddle."

"I know things look bad, Cherry, but don't beat yourself up," Atticus told his best friend. "Sure, we now know about Della, but you didn't before we ended up in this mess. Let's help Mrs. Brisby, and then we can help Drell against Della..." he then smirked. "Maybe we can talk them into having a Magic Duel like Twilight against Trixie."

"Sounds like a plan." Patch said.

"Let's just focus on Mrs. Brisby for right now." Atticus suggested.

"Alright." Cherry said while Mo and Patch nodded in agreement.

"I just thought I'd mention in passing," Jeremy said as they were about to go. "I've always wanted a sparkly of my very own."

"Will you get going?" Atticus asked, nearly impatiently.

"Sure! Uh... Excuse me. Pardon me. Bye!" Jeremy replied before disappearing under the lily again, wandering off, though hitting every rock in his path which was enough to make even Mrs. Brisby roll her eyes.

"That crow is so confusing." Patch groaned.

"He's annoying..." Cherry rolled her eyes.

"At least he was helpful the first couple of times, but I'm afraid I have to agree." Atticus replied.

"Same here." Mo said.

"I'd like a restraining order." Mrs. Brisby muttered about Jeremy.

They soon went back to what they were doing while Cherry tried to stay brave for what was going to happen to her and Mrs. Brisby later on as she soon had a thought in her mind.

"Come on, Cherry... BUCK UP!" Drell told her in her conscience.

"Okay. Okay." Cherry said.

The others looked to her and they soon kept going. Cherry soon went off while the others would wait out as she came to Justin and Mrs. Brisby.

Justin, Cherry and Mrs. Brisby were now under the farmhouse, preparing to drug the cat.

"It won't be long now," Justin told Cherry and Mrs. Brisby. "She's washing the dishes. Here's the powder. Nervous?"

"Very./Petrified." Mrs. Brisby and Cherry replied.

Don't be," Justin reassured them both. "You'll both be alright."

"Hopefully." Cherry said.

"I hope I haven't upset your plans." Mrs. Brisby frowned. 

"Nonsense! What makes you say that?" Justin replied. 

"I think she thinks she caused an argument." Cherry said which made Mrs. Brisby nod.

"Oh, you mean Jenner," Justin replied. "No problem."

"Justin? I sincerely hope you make it to Thorn Valley." Mrs. Brisby then said. 

"We will," Justin reassured until he heard something before shushing both of them as it was almost time. "Shh! Listen. Mrs. Fitzgibbons is filling Dragon's bowl. Get ready."

"Right." Cherry nodded.

Mrs. Brisby and Cherry both crawled up through the hole into the kitchen.

"Oh, my..." Mrs. Brisby said in concern.

"Better leave that cape," Justin suggested. "Could get caught on something."

Mrs. Brisby sighed, but then dropped her cape through the hole, followed a moment later by the Stone. 

Justin hung them up nearby and passed the envelope with the powder up to her and Cherry. "Here's the powder." he then told them.

"Be brave... Stay brave..." Cherry told herself. "It's just a stupid cat. You're not afraid of cats." She soon went off with Mrs. Brisby.

From outside, Dragon was heard yowling to his humans to be let in.

"I don't think I can do this!" Mrs. Brisby cried out. 

"Yes, you can!" Justin coached her.

Mrs. Brisby shook her head desperately.

"Mrs. Brisby, we got to do this to help your home and your family." Cherry tried to help the widowed mouse.

Dragon kept yowling to his humans so he would be let in.

"Okay, Dragon, I'm coming," Mrs. Fitzgibbons said as she came to her cat. "There we go."

"Steady... Now!" Justin soon signaled.

Mrs. Brisby hesitated.

"Mrs. Brisby!" Cherry yelped as she went to do her part, trying not to let her fear consume her as she came toward Dragon's bowl to drug the cat. 

Mrs. Brisby soon came to help out before running for her life, taking Cherry with her to make sure the younger mouse would get out okay. As they kept going, they got the drug into the food before going back to Justin. The cat food scattered all around other directions during their escape. 

"Get back!" Justin warned.

Mrs. Brisby and Cherry both ran the hole under the cabinet, but just before they could reach it, a colander came down over them.

"Mom! Don't let the cat in yet, I've caught some mice!" A young boy beamed. 

"Mice?" Mrs. Fitzgibbons asked in concern. "As in more than one?"

"Can I keep them?" The boy begged. "Can I?" 

"No, Billy, put them outside." Mrs. Fitzgibbons told her son.

Cherry began to try to get herself and Mrs. Brisby out by scratching at the colander, acting like an animal that would want out.

Justin soon overheard what happened and cursed under his breath. "Damn!"

"Aw, Mom, please?" Billy begged his mother about keeping Cherry and Mrs. Brisby as pets. "I can keep them in Porgy's old cage."

"Oh... All right," Mrs. Fitzgibbons then sighed in defeat. "Come on, Dragon."

"I'll have to come back for you later." Justin promised the two before running out of the farmhouse as rain began to fall.

Unknown to anyone, there was a group of toy-sized Power Rangers that were going to help.

Atticus, Mo, Patch, and Drell were waiting in the meantime.

"And we're very sorry we doubted you..." Mo said nervously. "No hard feelings?"

"Hmm... I guess not..." Drell shrugged. "I guess I should've told you guys about her sooner than later rather than telling you when you're just now finding out about her. Like I would've warned you about Revolta being in my sister's ghoul school, but I didn't know you were going over there at the time."

"You can thank Forte for that." Atticus said.

"I still can't believe Ms. Grimwood is your sister." Patch said to Drell.

"I know, it seems strange, but it's true," Drell replied. "I also really hope Cherry has enough bravery. She may not be afraid of cats, but I'm sure at this size as a mouse, that cat's gonna seem a bit frightening."

"You said it." Atticus said.

Justin soon came back to them.

Drell looked around before seeing two mice missing. "Where are Cherry and Mrs. Brisby?" he then asked.

"I'm afraid they didn't make it." Justin replied.

"What?!" Atticus, Mo, Patch, and Drell gasped.

"I'm terribly sorry," Justin frowned. "The humans got them."

Drell soon went to run over to go save Cherry and Mrs. Brisby in a protective guardian mode.

"Don't worry, they'll escape." Atticus said.

Drell growled a bit.

"Drell, are you actually being protective of Cherry?" Atticus smiled hopefully.

"Huh? What? Oh, no, no," Drell said sheepishly. "She's just a student. What? You think I love her like my own daughter or something? Pfft! Please..." he then rolled his eyes, but Atticus kept his innocent smile. "Fine... You and her have grown on me over the years." he then said in defeat.

"Aw!" Mo smiled.

"Hmph..." Drell rolled his eyes a bit.

"You do care!" Atticus beamed.

"Aw, shut up or I'll make you dog meat." Drell said before smirking a little jokingly.

"Oh, ha, ha." Atticus smirked back.

"You're sure your friend and Mrs. Brisby will be alright?" Justin asked.

"I know Cherry's got this," Atticus smiled. "I'm sure she can help Mrs. Brisby too."

"Alright then." Justin said.

"I worry about my best friend, but I know she'll be okay." Atticus said.

Mo and Patch smiled about Atticus's loyal friendship to Cherry. 

"I'd love to see Della's face that she won't be able to drain you guys tonight." Drell smirked a bit wickedly to his greatest enemy from childhood.

"Oh, really?" Della's voice smirked.

"Okay, that was creepy." Drell flinched that time.

Patch growled like a dog once he heard Della's voice.

"Stay away from us, you evil witch." Atticus glared as he looked around for Della.

"I really loved you, children... I really did..." Della smirked as she soon appeared, coming up to them with her magical staff.

"Bull. Loney." Drell glared. 

"I really liked that little friend of yours," Della said, coming between Atticus, Mo, and Patch. "She even has her own pet Celestial Cub. I could've solved all of her troubles if you would just let me. She even said she wanted me to be her guardian instead of Drell over here."

"That was until she found out about your evilness." Drell glared.

"Ah, evil?" Della replied. "I don't know if I would call myself evil."

"I would," Drell glared at her. "Say what you want about me, but at least I'm not evil enough to drain others of their magic or life source because I wanna rule the whole universe."

"Yeah!" Atticus, Patch, and Mo added.

"What an adorable little army you have," Della smirked. "Too bad you can't stop me. With your magic and powers, I can be unstoppable."

"You forgot one thing, Della," Drell replied. "Though it might not seem like much, Equestrian magic can help them when they're awake."

"It can?" Atticus, Patch, and Mo asked in surprise.

"Oh, sure it can," Drell said. "That's why you were chosen to be the honored guests into Equestria along with your own magic like whenever you go there or you have something to worry about in Canterlot High School."

"Whoa." Patch smiled.

"That won't last long," Della told Drell, pulling down on his hair a bit. "I'll GET WHAT I WANT."

"Wow, that was a scary voice." Mo said, shaking chills down her spine.

"If you all think you can stop me, you're nuts." Della told the students.

"They're not going to stop you, I am," Drell decided. "Della Plotsworth, I challenge you to a Magic Duel. Loser leaves the Supernatural Realm forEVER."

"Oh, sure, challenge me to a Magic Duel just because you know that I would be able to defeat any of your students." Della smirked.

"This isn't their fight," Drell glared. "This is between you and me. Especially when one of my students is missing and happens to be the granddaughter of one of the world's greatest witches that you tried to trick and bewitch!"

"Oh, so, then you don't want her to save the day?" Della asked.

"What?!" Drell glared.

"It sounds to me that your gargantuan ego is getting the better of you again," Della smirked a bit. "I guess you don't want Cherry to succeed after all. You claim to care about her, but all I see is you refusing to let her do what she must do to make things right in this mysterious world we live in."

Drell soon began to look like he was about to blow and where he soon did.

"Run for it!" Atticus yelped.

Atticus, Mo, and Patch soon ran off as Drell exploded on Della.

"I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU, DELLA PLOTSWORTH!" Drell snapped, flailing his arms as he looked as angry and frustrated as Donald Duck on a very bad day.

"Naughty, naughty Drell." Della smirked.

"You are really cheesing me off!" Drell snapped.

Della just giggled. "Such a shame... We could've been so happy together..." she then said. "Why, I'd even let you sit with me in my throne to rule the entire universe, whether Earth, Equestria, and any other realm that exists."

"Like Drell would stoop to your level." Atticus glared.

Patch glanced over as he thought he saw four multicolored animals, but shook it off as they seemed to disappear from his line of sight, so he shrugged it off right now. 

"Ruling the whole universe...?" Drell asked Della.

"That's right." Della smirked.

"No!" Drell cried out, shaking his head. "I may be sleazy, I may humiliate people, I may even have a lack of empathy, but I would never go that far!"

"Oh, so close." Della glared.

"Good try..." Drell glared back. "Why don't you make like Evvamene and get put under a house?"

Della soon magicked herself away in a huff, but she was not gone.

"I'll be waiting for you!" Drell glared, knowing that Della would be back again soon.

"Uh... Who's Evvamene?" Atticus asked.

"The Wicked Witch of the East." Drell replied.

"Ohh." Atticus said.

Drell then cursed under his breath about Della.

"Cherry... I know you're not a praying type, but I'm praying for your and Mrs. Brisby's safety," Atticus soon prayed for his best friend. "I hope you will be alright. Both of you. I believe in you. Let the angels watch over you in your journey."

Mo soon hugged him and he hugged her back, a bit emotionally. Everyone soon walked off as it was raining while Cherry and Mrs. Brisby were trapped in the Fitzgibbons' household.

"There has to be someway out of here." Cherry said.

Mrs. Brisby let out a small yelp as the telephone rang.

"It's okay, Mrs. Brisby, it was just the telephone." Cherry soothed the widowed mouse.

Mrs. Brisby nodded as she tried to keep calm.

Farmer Fitzgibbons soon went to answer the phone. "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses," he then answered it, letting the two mice listen in a bit. "Hello?... Who?.... NIMH. Oh! Oh yeah, NIMH! Yes, yes, I know, you called about the rats," he then talked on the phone for a while. "Well, I don't know nothing about any special behavior, but the traps sure don't work.... In the morning? Suits me fine... Oh, no, no, you can bulldoze that rosebush right outta there, I want those rats exterminated! Uh, well, there's no... Charge....? Good. Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then... Uh-huh... Bye-Bye." he then hung up.

"NIMH's coming tomorrow," Cherry said out of fear. "We have to warn the others, Mrs. Brisby."

"Hurry, child." Mrs. Brisby nodded.

The two mice jumped to the door of their cage and started rattling it desperately.

"Please... Let something go right for once in my life." Cherry begged to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

The moving of the Brisby house was underway. The rats had set up an elaborate system of ropes, pulleys, and a huge wheel powered by about 30 rats marching in a circle. Slowly, the cement block started to rise out of the mud.

'Please work.' Patch thought to himself.

Inside the Brisby house, the children were trying to keep things from getting knocked about too badly while Auntie Shrew was having a panic attack.

"Teresa!" Auntie Shrew soon called out only to get knocked out cold as a marble fell on her head.

"Martin!" Teresa then called out.

"Auntie's afraid!" Cynthia grinned. 

Mo began to help out the Brisby kids as they had a lot of work to do now.

"Don't worry, kids; everything's going to be okay." Mo said.

The house reached the necessary height as the rats began to move it transversely.

"Pull on the end-haul. Careful," Justin instructed. "Careful! Easy does it... Keep it up!"

Nicodemus was standing on the stone, supervising the operation.

Jenner, Ratigan, and Sullivan lurked near the ropes anchoring the apparatus to the stone and they all carried their own swords.

"Nicodemus is cooperating beautifully..." Jenner remarked.

"Just be patient." Ratigan said.

"Jenner? Ratigan?" Sullivan spoke up nervously.

"He's standing in just the right spot!" Jenner continued.

"Jenner, I... I can't do it!" Sullivan gulped. 

"When that block reaches midway, you cut the line." Jenner then told his right hand rat.

"If you betray us, your life will cost you." Ratigan told Sullivan.

"Come on, mates!" Justin soon called out. "Put your backs into it!"

Cherry and Mrs. Brisby soon found a paperclip and tried to use it against the door. The four creatures from before soon spotted them and came to help them out.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Cherry pleaded as she tried to use the paperclip.

But unfortunately, it didn't work as it cut both Cherry and Mrs. Brisby.

"Gah!" Cherry yelped as she saw her blood which was a bit blackened.

Mrs. Brisby held her paw, seeing blood on her own now.

"You look like you could use some help." A voice said to them.

"Who said that?!" Cherry yelped.

Four figures soon came out and they stepped into the light a bit. They were a blue squirrel, a red bird, a yellow beaver, and a pink cat, though much, much smaller than Dragon.

"Who are you?" Cherry asked.

"We are... The Miniforce!" The group announced.

"Never heard of you, but you sound like the Power Rangers, only smaller." Cherry said.

"I guess you could say that, but we're going to help you." The blue squirrel replied.

"Uh, I'd like to see how you plan on doing that." Cherry said to them.

"Maybe we should get them out through there." The pink cat suggested to her teammates, pointing to the water dish.

"But there's no way we're fit through... Unless..." Cherry said before cleaning off the blood from her cut with the water before starting to push the water dish out.

"Oh, wait, I don't think that's close enough!" The yellow beaver cried out.

Cherry jumped into the water, but the dish was pushed too far forward for her to fit through the gap on the other side. She then got out, runs to the far side of the cage, and took a flying leap at the dish.

"Oh, dear, be careful!" Mrs. Brisby warned Cherry.

Cherry nodded to Mrs. Brisby, telling her that she would be careful. The dish shifted a little, and Cherry soon made it out, though Mrs. Brisby was unable to make it through. The Miniforce then came to help out Mrs. Brisby as Cherry waited while looking around frantically, hoping that the humans wouldn't see them. And where luckily the humans wouldn't see them since they were upstairs.

"So... Miniforce?" Cherry asked.

"That's us," The blue squirrel replied. "I'm Volt."

"I'm Sammy." The red bird added.

"I'm Max." The yellow beaver said.

"And I'm Lucy!" The pink cat concluded. 

"Never in my life did I imagine I'd meet you guys... Now if only we could get Mrs. Brisby out here." Cherry said to them.

"Leave that to me." Max said.

"Um, all right," Cherry replied. "Have at it, Beaver."

Max soon cracked his knuckles before bending a way open for Mrs. Brisby. Mrs. Brisby stepped back a bit.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out of there soon." Max promised before he soon finished.

Mrs. Brisby looked curious of the Miniforce before she was soon able to be let out.

"Come on, Mrs. Brisby, we can't waste much time." Cherry warned the widowed mouse.

The Miniforce soon got themselves Cherry and Mrs. Brisby down to the floor. Cherry soon looked around, shivering a bit.

"The humans won't see you, I promise," Lucy told her. "We're gonna get you out of here."

"I guess I just never realized how scary humans seem when you're a mouse." Cherry replied.

They soon made their way out and luckily, Dragon wasn't going to wake up for a while.

Jenner and Ratigan watched the block's process carefully.

"Come on, Atticus, lift with your knees, not your back!" Drell advised.

"I am!" Atticus told him.

"Ready with the knife..." Jenner said. "Ready.... Cut now!"

"I... I..." Sullivan stammered.

"Now! Cut it!" Jenner demanded.

"No!" Sullivan protested.

"You spineless little coward!" Ratigan glared at Sullivan. "Jenner, we'll have to do it since this mouse brain's backing out!"

Jenner and Ratigan soon began to cut the mouse-sized rope. Drell looked around as he thought he heard something while Patch and Atticus helped the rats.

The Brisby home soon crashed to the ground. Inside the Brisby home, all was bedlam with the furniture flying. A candle soon tipped over and it began to set the home on fire.

"That's not good!" Mo yelped.

"Martin! Help!" Teresa cried out.

A washbasin soon slid the same way as the candle, and overturned, putting out the fire.

"Phew..." Mo sighed in relief, hugging Teresa in comfort. "That was close. Are you alright, dear?"

"I... I think so," Teresa replied. "I wish you could be our babysitter instead of Auntie Shrew."

"Trust me, I wish for the same thing." Mo said.

Outside, a crowd of rats, led by Justin and Mr. Ages, desperately fought their way into the wreckage.

"Okay, help. We've got to hurry! Come on, come on!" Justin said.

"We're coming, Justin." Patch promised.

"Where is Nicodemus?" Atticus then asked.

"Alright... I see him..." Justin said before stopping dead in his tracks in horror. "Nicodemus... Oh, no! NO!" 

Nicodemus's paw was shown, limping from within a pile of rubble. Atticus soon rushed to where Nicodemus's paw was.

Patch came beside Atticus with a frown. "Is he...?" he then asked wearily.

"I don't think he made it." Atticus frowned back regretfully.

"No...." Patch frowned back.

Atticus and Patch soon held onto each other as this looked like the end of Nicodemus. Ratigan soon came up behind Drell to knock him out as he got separated from the group. Unfortunately, he missed as Drell went over to Atticus and Patch. The two looked up sadly.

"Oh... That's unfortunate..." Drell said as he saw what had happened to Nicodemus.

'So close.' Ratigan thought to himself.

"I hope Cherry's okay..." Patch frowned.

"I'm sure that both Cherry and Mrs. Brisby are okay." Atticus said.

The Miniforce began to help guide Cherry and Mrs. Brisby out to safety from the Fitzgibbons' home.

"Thanks for the help." Cherry told them.

"Just doing our jobs, kiddo." Volt replied.

"You really do remind me of the Power Rangers," Cherry said. "Believe me... I know."

"We should be close to my home soon." Mrs. Brisby said.

"I sure hope so," Cherry replied. "I also hope your son Timmy is okay."

"Oh, I hope so too, dear." Mrs. Brisby said.

Cherry and Mrs. Brisby then yelped as they came face-to-face with Dragon. Luckily, Dragon was still fast asleep and didn't even see them, giving them a breath of relief.

"Whew..." Cherry sighed. "That drug is doing great."

The Miniforce then led the two mice closer into the kitchen before they would leave the house. Mrs. Brisby took that time to stop to collect her belongings.

"Oh, thank you so much, Miniforce..." Cherry said. "I guess you really are like the Power Rangers for small animals."

"And after this, we have new mission in Dapplewood Forest when the time comes." Volt replied.

"Dapplewood Forest..." Cherry said to herself. "That's where that animal movie Once Upon a Forest takes place... I wonder if we'll adventure there sometime?"

Sometime later, Cherry and the others would have an adventure there, but as we all know, that would be a story for another day.

Meanwhile, the rats had met around the Brisby home.

"Friends, we cannot move the Brisby home." Jenner soon told his fellow rats.

"We can't just leave Mrs. Brisby's home in mud." Drell said.

"The equipment is a shambles." Jenner replied.

"Justin!" Mrs. Brisby's voice soon called out in the distance.

"One day we shall journey to Thorn Valley just as Nicodemus wanted, but not now." Ratigan then added from what Jenner was saying.

"Atticus!" Cherry's voice called out in the distance.

"Mrs. Brisby...?" Mr. Ages soon asked.

"Cherry?" Atticus added in the same tone.

"Come. Let us return to the rosebush," Jenner soon suggested to the others. "Where we belong."

"What happened? Where's Nicodemus? And Mo and Mrs. Brisby's children?" Cherry asked.

"They... They're fine," Mr. Ages replied. "Nicodemus is... Dead."

"Oh... Oh, no..." Mrs. Brisby grew distraught.

'If only we had gotten out sooner.' Cherry thought to herself.

"Cherry, are you okay?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Cherry replied. "Anyway, we don't have much time to waste. NIMH is coming!"

"Come, come, let's return to the rosebush..." Jenner quickly told the others to distract them. 

"Cherry is right," Mrs. Brisby soon said. "NIMH is coming!"

"NIMH?!" One of the rats asked out of fear.

"In the morning!" Mrs. Brisby soon exclaimed.

"NIMH?" A rat asked nervously.

"Yes. You will all die unless you leave the farm tonight." Cherry told them.

"Lies!" Ratigan soon glared.

"We're telling you the truth!" Cherry told them.

"Please! You must believe us!" Mrs. Brisby added.

The rats soon got into a panicking clatter.

"What if it's true?"

"We'll all be killed!"

"Don't panic!"

"Don't listen!" Ratigan told the other rats. "They're hysterical!"

"No, they're not." Sammy said as he and the rest of the Miniforce appeared at the scene.

"You guys came!" Cherry said to them.

"Cherry, you know these animals?" Atticus asked his best friend.

"Yeah, they're the Miniforce," Cherry replied. "Atticus, you'd probably like them; they're like animal versions of the Power Rangers."

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"Get out now!" Mrs. Brisby urged the rats.

With a vicious backhand, Jenner sent Mrs. Brisby flying, shucking his cape and soon drew his sword. "You get out!" he then glared at the widowed mouse. "I've had enough!"

"Mrs. Brisby!" Cherry cried out.

"I've had enough too, especially with you!" Ratigan then told Cherry as he now had his own sword. "I couldn't get rid of Basil of Baker Street or Flaversham and his daughter, so now that you're here with me again, you'll have to do!"

"Over my dead body." Atticus told him as he protected Cherry from Ratigan.

"You've asked the right rodent in question." Ratigan glared as he held out his sword against Atticus's neck.

"This is bad, Atticus doesn't have a sword with him." Patch whispered to Drell.

"Yeah, too bad." Drell replied.

Patch and Drell stood there for a moment while Patch waited for the warlock to realize something.

"Oh! Okay!" Drell then said and used his magic to give Atticus a sword against Ratigan's sword.

Once he had a sword, Atticus used it to defend himself against Ratigan.

"Get him, Atticus!" Drell coached.

"Thank you!" Atticus replied, using his own sword against Ratigan.

"Jenner!" Mr. Ages cried out as he tried to block Jenner's path.

Jenner swept him to one side with a snarl and lunged after Mrs. Brisby as Sullivan ran to get Justin.

"Justin! Justin!" Sullivan cried out to the brown rat.

Justin soon saw what was happening, and ran between Jenner and Mrs. Brisby. "Jenner, stop this!" he then glared at the evil rat.

The amulet around Mrs. Brisby's neck soon glimmered in Jenner's eyes.

"Uh-oh..." Drell said nervously. "It's like Gollum with the ring." 

"Did that ever actually happen?" Patch asked about the Lord of the Rings. 

"The Stone..." Jenner whispered, feeling entranced. 

"Jenner..." Justin warned his fellow rat.

"Get out of my way!" Jenner glared, pushing Justin backward, and slashed at him with his sword for good measure. 

The sword connected with Justin's arm, making the brown rat grimace with pain.

"I want that Stone!" Jenner glared as he soon came towards Mrs. Brisby. 

"No! Get away from her!" Cherry glared at Jenner, finding herself going after him to stop him.

"Oh, no, you don't." Della's voice smirked.

"D-Della?" Cherry soon stopped in her tracks.

"Ah... You remember me..." Della's voice replied.

"Well, duh!" Cherry rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm just going to be making sure that you don't get in Jenner's way." Della's voice smirked.

"Grrr!" Cherry glared and soon went to ignore her.

A blast of magic soon cast over Cherry, stopping her as she soon floated and was in an energy bubble.

"Della, leave me alone!" Cherry cried out. "I never did anything to you!"

"Maybe, but I can't let you stop Jenner from getting the amulet." Della smirked as she came out of the shadows.

"Della, you leave Cherry alone!" Drell glared.

"You may be Head of the Witch's Council, but you can't tell me what to do." Della smirked.

Jenner leapt at Mrs. Brisby, and tried to grab the amulet from around her neck as she struggled as hard as she could.

"Jenner!" Justin glared before running up and kicking Jenner off of the widowed mouse. 

"Now Justin needs a sword!" Patch said in concern.

"Sullivan, toss Justin a sword!" Drell called out.

"All right!" Sullivan replied as he went to do that. 

Justin soon fought Jenner in the mud until Sullivan came back.

"Justin! Justin, my sword!" Sullivan cried out as he then threw Justin his sword. 

Jenner, in fury, slashed Sullivan open, making him fall to the ground, still breathing... For now. 

"You remind me of a very young Basil." Ratigan glared at Atticus.

"I'll take that as a compliment, rat." Atticus glared back.

Ratigan growled as he was called a rat while striking violently. Atticus nearly got hit, but luckily dodged as they sword-fought each other.

"Too bad your friend can't help you." Della smirked at Cherry.

"When I get out of here, I'm gonna break you in half!" Cherry glared.

"Pretty big words for someone who doesn't have the god-like strength." Della teased.

Cherry soon saw the Miniforce still around, and where she saw they had what must have been their Morphers.

"What is your plan?" Drell growled to Della.

"Overthrowing you," Della smirked. "I'm gonna ruin your reputation to Enchantra so she'll fire you."

"Della, you remember that evil always loses, right?" Cherry smirked back.

"Oh, but I'm not the evil one here," Della replied. "Drell is simply unfit to run the Council. He only got his job because of his mother."

"Says the one that tried to drain me, Atticus, Mo, and Patch of our life and magic source." Cherry glared.

"Oh, boo, hoo, hoo..." Della then said in a mocking tone. "Life is so unfair for you, isn't it, Cherry?"

Cherry's only response was a deep growl. The Miniforce soon came to help out and soon gathered together to use a special form like the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Patch saw what the Miniforce was doing and decided to stay quiet so then Della would be surprised.

"No one can stop me..." Della glared. "I tried to be nice... But you all tested my patience. I nearly had this chubbo in retirement."

"Chubbo?!" Drell glared at her. "I'm not fat!"

"You're big-boned?" Cherry replied, getting a glare from him for that. "...I'll shut up now."

Drell soon saw the Miniforce now changing into their ranger forms.

"Pig." Della smirked to Drell.

"Harlot." Drell glared.

"Gigantor."

"Shrew."

"GUM CHEWER!"

"Watch out." Drell smirked as the Miniforce soon came to help him against Della. 

"That makes no sense." Della glared in deadpan.

"Oh, that wasn't an insult." Patch smirked.

"Oh, really?" Della asked.

Drell soon coughed into his fist and backed off a bit.

"The Miniforce will help get rid of you!" Sammy, Volt, Lucy, and Max soon told Della, right behind her, startling her a bit until she turned around to see what they were talking about. "Miniforce Transform!"

"What on Earth?!" Della backed up a bit.

The Miniforce soon began to transform. Cherry poked her bubble a bit, feeling bored to be trapped in it while Atticus and Justin fought Ratigan and Jenner. The Miniforce then transformed together and now they looked even more like the Power Rangers that the adventure group knew and loved back in Angel Grove.

"You think you can defeat me?" Della smirked.

"You're a cruel, evil witch!" Volt glared. "We trusted Cherry and now you've hurt her!"

"Aww... They care about me." Cherry sounded touched.

"Let's see how you four are against magic." Della smirked as she fired her magic at the Miniforce.

"Oh, no, I don't think they have any magic." Cherry said in concern.

"That's what you both think!" Lucy said as she soon stepped in to use her power against Della's powers.

Della was surprised as Lucy did have magic.

"You have magic?" Cherry asked.

"It's my special power." Lucy nodded to Cherry.

"No way!" Della glared. "How does a tiny pink cat have magic?!"

"I'm special." Lucy smirked.

Della glared as the Miniforce seemed more formidable than she thought.

"Cherry, now's your time to go save Mrs. Brisby." Drell whispered.

"Do you think I can do it?" Cherry asked.

"You need to believe that you can," Drell said, taking out a needle. "Uh, could you scoot back a bit? I don't wanna prick you by accident."

Cherry scootched back and Drell popped the bubble, freeing her, and when the perky goth got out, she soon dashed off to help save Mrs. Brisby. Della saw Cherry now free and was about to get her with her magic only to be blocked by the Miniforce.

"Run, Cherry!" Drell called out. "Go help save everybody!"

Cherry soon kept running until she then lunged out and tackled down Jenner as he tried to get the amulet from Mrs. Brisby.

"Cherry!" Mrs. Brisby gasped.

"Mrs. Brisby, run!" Cherry told her.

Mrs. Brisby soon got free and went to run off.

"I bet you even killed Nicodemus, you dirty rat!" Cherry glared at Jenner, doing her best to show no fear.

"You're clever for a mouse!" Jenner glared.

Justin soon came to take care of Jenner.

"Now, get off of me!" Jenner glared as he tried to get Cherry off of him as they ended up in the mud.

"Nope." Cherry told him.

"Get off!" Jenner glared as he grabbed his sword.

Cherry gulped, then magicked up her own sword with her dream-bending powers to sword-fight against Jenner.

"I didn't know Cherry could sword-fight." Patch said.

"She can't," Atticus said nervously. "All she knows is from watching Zorro movies."

"Atticus, focus on your own sword-fight!" Drell told him.

Ratigan was soon about to strike down Atticus.

Atticus then shook his head and dashed from that, sliding out of the way and soon jumped to right behind Ratigan. "Haha! You can't keep a good mouse down, ya rat!"

"I am not a rat!" Ratigan snapped as he swung around and swung his sword at Atticus.

"Careful, Atticus!" Drell warned.

Atticus soon ducked down and Ratigan's sword struck against Drell's chest by accident.

"Oh... Damn..." Drell grunted slightly.

Atticus's face paled from seeing that. Ratigan soon swung his sword at Atticus again. Patch came to Drell who appeared to be bleeding.

"Gah!" Atticus cried out as he dodged the sword with his own sword, clashing them together before glaring. "How dare you strike my teacher!"

"You have yourself to blame for not blocking." Ratigan smirked.

Atticus glared at Ratigan, shoving him away which soon set him into the mud.

"Ah!" Cherry yelped, but luckily she didn't get hit by that.

"Your friend is a worse thorn in my side than you are." Ratigan glared up at Cherry.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Cherry said.

Ratigan soon grabbed a hold of her throat.

"Gah!" Cherry coughed and gagged.

"Let her go." Atticus glared.

"I don't think so," Ratigan glared back as he soon got up, trying to strangle Cherry. "She must pay for what she did when I nearly won and was about rid of Basil and Queen Mousetoria."

"I asked nicely!" Atticus glared before tackling down Ratigan, making him let go of Cherry.

Cherry soon gasped for air, coughing a bit as she nearly suffocated to death.

"You okay?" Patch asked her.

"I... I think so..." Cherry said softly.

"Cherry, that was so brave of you to go and help Mrs. Brisby." Patch said.

"I really tried..." Cherry sighed. "I just didn't want to let her down... Or let Timmy down..."

"You four are getting on my nerves!" Della's voice glared as The Miniforce was hit with magic.

"You can't stop us!" Sammy glared back. "You should've listened to that Cherry girl! Good always beats evil!"

"Especially when it's superheroes like us!" Volt added.

"Superheroes?" Della snorted, rolling her eyes. "You Wonder Pets are just a bunch of wannabe heroes with your flashy transformations! You'll see, I'll be the Supreme Ruler of the Entire Universe, and no one shall stop me. I'll even be better than Lord Tirek, The Horned King, and maybe even King Sombra! Such a shame you couldn't live up to your inheritance, Atticus Fudo!"

"Oh, shut up!" Cherry glared at her.

"You do not tell me to shut up!" Della glared back.

"I just did!" Cherry glared. "I don't care how you feel about Drell! In fact, I have an extensive list of complaints about him caring for me and Atticus for the past few years!"

Drell glared slightly from that in offense, even though he looked a bit weak from his stab wound.

"But he's a better guardian than you, especially in never draining us for our magic and life sources!" Cherry then continued to Della.

"Look at you, acting so brave." Della glared.

"I AM brave..." Cherry glared back.

"You are an annoying pest." Della glared back.

"Takes one to know one." Cherry smirked.

Della soon took out her wand and shot magic at Cherry.

"Yikes!" Cherry yelped, jumping out of the way, landing by Drell and Patch.

"Ch... Cherry..." Drell said weakly to the perky goth. "Remember your tutoring from when... When you and Megan... Took down King Sombra..."

"Right." Cherry nodded.

Drell soon held out his paw and gently ruffled up her hair with a weak smile.

"Oh, Drell..." Cherry said emotionally, taking his paw off her head. "Are you dying?"

"You'd probably be happier if I was..." Drell said softly and weakly with a sad smile.

"No, no, I wouldn't..." Cherry frowned.

"Go... Go kick their butts..." Drell told her before using the magic he had left to give her her training wand. 

"Drell..." Cherry said softly.

"Don't worry about me... Go on..." Drell told her.

"Drell, please promise me that you'll live." Cherry begged.

"I'm not sure if I can promise that..." Drell said softly. "But... It would probably not make any difference..."

"Don't say that!" Cherry said emotionally almost like she could cry.

Drell soon slowly shut his eyes and he was quiet from then on.

"No, please, Drell, don't!" Cherry cried.

Then something magical began to happen as the Elements of Harmony that were thought to be destroyed appeared in the spirit of what looked to be Twilight. Cherry soon covered her eyes as she looked like she was crying for Drell.

"Don't cry, Cherry!" Patch said, emotionally now himself.

Astral Twilight soon floated down to Drell before placing her horn gently on Drell's body and where he was healed and which meant his life was saved.

"Huh?" Cherry blinked with tears in her eyes. "Twilight Sparkle?"

"Don't worry, he'll wake up again eventually," Astral Twilight smiled to her. "You go off and help Mrs. Brisby."

"You're the spirit of the Tree-House of Harmony, aren't you?" Patch smiled at Astral Twilight.

"Yes, I am," Astral Twilight replied. "I thought you could use a little help, especially after saving the Tree of Harmony."

"Thank you for saving his life." Cherry told her before looking ready to take on Della.

"It was my pleasure." Astral Twilight replied.

"Why, Cherry?" Della asked. "Why would you save him after he made your life into a nightmare like you told me at the spa?"

"I didn't know what I was saying," Cherry glared. "I was just mad."

"People can say things out of anger." Patch said.

"Yeah!" Cherry kept her glare on Della.

"That Celestial Cub has meddled... If it wasn't for him, I'd be successful by now and you'd all be dead so that I could have your magic and life sources," Della glared back. "I was going to be the most powerful being in the whole universe. And now... YOU MUST DIE!" she then took out her wand and shot deathly magic right at Cherry. 

Cherry yelped before teleporting away in time, ending up on the other side of the farm and looked around frantically. Della soon teleported right behind her with an evil red-eyed glare as this was like Cherry's teleportation race against Drell, only this time, it wasn't for fun or tutoring, this was the real deal now!

After the teleporting race, Cherry soon shot Della with a magic blast. Della yelped out as she got hit before shooting her own magic against Cherry. 

Cherry quickly magicked up a shield before glaring and shooting her magic back at Della, remembering what happened when Drell had tutored her both for school and for going up against King Sombra. Della yelped again as she got hit by Cherry's magic. Cherry took that time to teleport again, she then found a hole and jumped into it, using her shield as a door to hide herself. Della growled and teleported after Cherry again.

"Okay, I need a plan," Cherry told herself. "I can't keep hiding like a spineless coward." She began to start thinking of a plan.

"Cherry Berry, I'm sorry, darling~," Della's voice soon called out in a merry tone like Aunt Figg lying to Robyn to sound sweet and innocent. "If you come with me right now, I'll take you and your friends back home~"

"Does she think I'm stupid?" Cherry rolled her eyes. She soon had an idea.

Della continued to trek around for Cherry. Cherry soon slowly got out of the hole, moving her shield as she tried to be as quiet as a mouse, remembering also from what Bruce told her about sneaking up on bad guys in Gotham City to be as stealthy as him. And where it was easy to be quiet as a mouse since in that world, Cherry was a mouse. Della soon grabbed Cherry, turning to her with a smirk.

"Yaugh!" Cherry yelped.

"Gotcha," Della smirked as she held out her wand in a deathly way. "You have one last chance, Cherry... I can waste you right here and right now, or you can give in, and maybe I'll let you join my side as my princess when I become Queen of the Universe."

Cherry thought back to how much she had learned while Drell was her, Atticus, Mo, and Patch's guardian.

"You have three minutes..." Della told Cherry, bringing out an hourglass.

Cherry soon thought back to some of the better times of learning from Drell, even if they had a bit of a rocky relationship compared to his relationship with Atticus. As she began to think about her decision, Atticus and Justin were still fighting Ratigan and Jenner.


	8. Chapter 8

"Ratigan, Jenner, this is too far," Atticus glared. "If you stay, you'll die." 

"I'd prefer it if it were you." Ratigan glared back, sounding a bit insane now.

"You're insane!" Atticus glared back.

"You'll never be able to take me on like Basil could, you never even met him!" Ratigan sneered. 

"Should we help?" Lucy asked Max, Sammy, and Volt as Atticus was up against Ratigan.

"I think we should let him handle this." Max said.

"You sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I think he's got it." Max replied.

"I hope that Cherry girl is okay," Lucy said. "I really liked her."

"Thank you guys so much for helping out." Patch smiled to the Miniforce.

"No problem." Volt smiled back.

"You did it! You killed Nicodemus!" Justin glared at Jenner. "That was no accident!"

"Yes. I killed him!" Jenner glared back as the fight continued.

Justin struck furiously at Jenner, but Jenner's greater size and strength finally sent Justin tumbling from the top of the rock face down into the mud. Jenner descended from the top slowly, savoring the moment.

"He wanted to destroy everything!" Jenner then continued from what he was saying. "I've learned this much: Take what you can, when you can!"

"Then you've learned nothing." Justin glared.

Jenner raised his sword to strike, but Justin got his feet under a piece of wreckage and kicking it up, blocking Jenner's path. Justin got up again as the fight briefly continued until he struck low under Jenner's sword, piercing him in the belly. Jenner screamed and dropped his sword.

"Ooh, that had to hurt." Patch winced.

A short distance away, Sullivan was still breathing weakly. 

Justin then turned to the rest of the rats, and threw his sword away. "Friends, tonight we journey to Thorn Valley," he then told them. "We will leave no tracks. No evidence that the Rats of NIMH ever existed... Come."

Unknown to Justin, Jenner was above him ready to strike him. Mrs. Brisby pointed and gasped, trying to tell Justin what was going on right behind him. Luckily, Justin soon whirled right then as Jenner raised his sword to strike, but Sullivan pulled a dagger from his belt and with the last moment of his life, he threw it into Jenner's back. Jenner soon let out a yell as he toppled from the stone and fell to the ground, dead. Atticus and Ratigan continued their sword-fight. Patch kept an eye on Drell who was asleep, luckily he would wake up soon since Astral Twilight made sure that he would live.

"HYAH!" Atticus yelled out, striking Ratigan's sword out of the rat's hands.

Ratigan glared as he looked defenseless now.

"Well, well," Atticus glared back. "It looks like we're at the final countdown."

"Basil might've gotten me thrown off of Big Ben, but you won't be so lucky," Ratigan glared at him. "My friend Jenner's taught me some expert fighting, and I'll take you on."

"Ooh! That'll be great!" Atticus smirked about fighting hand-to-hand then.

"Your time is up, Cherry." Della smirked at Cherry.

"Uh... Could I have a few more minutes?" Cherry asked.

"YOU ARE DOOMED THEN!" Della snapped, shooting her magic right at Cherry.

There was then a huge explosion between Cherry and Della as Cherry squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself before she appeared to be in a new bubble shield that damaged everything around the two, but not her.

"Huh?" Cherry asked out of confusion.

Della soon looked over in dismay. "WHAT?! HOW?!" she then snapped. 

Cherry grinned bashfully before waving from inside the bubble before it soon popped.

"I really liked you, Cherry..." Della said to her sternly. "I can see why your grandmother was so sad to leave you when you were a baby like when Atticus's aunt vanished."

Cherry soon tried her best to stay strong in her fight against Della.

"I'm afraid now though, you must be destroyed... Then I'll go after your friends..." Della then told Cherry.

"No... I won't let you!" Cherry glared. "I may not show it a lot, but I love my friends! Because friendship IS magic!"

"We shall see if this magic of friendship of yours can save you." Della smirked.

Cherry let out a small gulp before glaring and going into a fighting stance. The two then began to fight each other through magic while Cherry did her best to stay strong and brave.

Atticus and Cherry's fights with Ratigan and Della went on for a while. Atticus soon charged against Ratigan and headbutted him in the stomach. Ratigan was soon sent flying and he crashed into a big rock.

"You okay?" Patch asked.

"Ugh... Yeah, I think so..." Atticus replied. "I don't think Cherry or anyone else will have to worry about Ratigan again for a while."

"If that's so, then explain that." Patch said as he saw a dark aura around Ratigan.

"Huh?" Atticus asked before looking over to see what was going on with Ratigan.

Ratigan got back up, and where he was heard laughing as he grew giant.

"It's not possible..." Atticus whispered in horror.

"What the heck?!" Cherry yelped as she saw what was going on with Ratigan.

"Oh, did I forget to mention I gave Ratigan a little power boost after you four ran off?" Della smirked at Cherry.

"What the WHAT?!" Cherry let out a high-pitched yelp. 

"Looks like you could use a little update in your own magic..." Della smirked before striking Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch, draining them of their magic finally.

The adventure group soon all looked very wore out and weakened, but unknown to Della and luckily enough, Drell still had his magic. When he soon woke up and saw that he was alright now, he smiled, but looked concerned to the adventure group as he decided he would help them when he could.

"I don't need magic to beat Ratigan..." Atticus said. "I still have my strength..."

"We'll see about that, little hero." Ratigan smirked as he bent down and flicked Atticus away.

"Atticus!" Cherry cried out.

Della soon dropped down right behind Cherry. "What's your plan now?" she then mocked.

"Ugh, that woman is really a thorn in my side..." Drell glared with a small sigh. "Sometimes I wish Merlin were here."

"We'll handle Ratigan." Volt told Cherry, referring to himself and the rest of the Miniforce.

"You sure?" Cherry asked.

"We've been training for fights like this for a long time," Volt said. "You did what you could, so let us step in to help you."

"Thank you." Cherry smiled.

The Miniforce nodded and soon glared as they began to attack Ratigan.

"Oh, are you children okay?" Drell asked.

"Drell, you're alive!" Atticus said in relief.

The Miniforce soon summoned their Megazords. 

"Ratigan, prepare to meet your doom!" Sammy glared.

"You little stuffed animals make me laugh," Raitgan smirked. "I only wish Fidget and Felicia could be here to see this. They'd have a lot of fun, especially with your pathetic sizes." 

"Laugh at THIS!" Max glared before attacking with his fellow Miniforce.

Ratigan began to fight against the Miniforce's Megazords. Drell soon came beside Atticus, Cherry, and Patch to help protect them. He smiled to them, but frowned as they looked slightly weak from Della.

"Well, that was fun, but I think I should get going." Della smirked.

"Where are you going?" Drell glared.

"Why should I tell you?" Della smirked as she soon brought out her own portal. "Good luck keeping those brats as your precious students when you can't give them their magic back." she then laughed as she went through the portal and it disappeared behind her, leaving them in the world.

"Is that true, Drell?" Patch asked.

"I'm afraid it is..." Drell sighed. "I can take you guys home, but I'm not sure if I can bring your magic back."

Atticus, Cherry, and Patch all looked unfortunate from that news.

"But I'm just glad you kids are safe," Drell smiled. "Wait, where's Mo?"

"Didn't you know?" Patch replied. "She's with the Brisby kids."

"I should go see them then." Mrs. Brisby said softly and sadly as the rats couldn't help her.

"Is everything okay out there?" Mo's voice asked from inside the Brisby home.

"Mo!" Atticus called out and soon ran up to Mo, hugging her.

"Hm. Almost looks like Ruby and Sapphire." Cherry commented from the hug.

"Hopefully you can get your magic back in time to see Steven Universe again against a greater enemy..." Drell said to himself distantly as Cherry mentioned the Fusion Gems who made Garnet.

"Are you guys alright?" Mo asked.

"We're fine..." Atticus sighed as it seemed that they had failed to help Mrs. Brisby. "Are you and the kids alright?"

"I suppose so," Mo replied. "I feel different though."

"That's because of Della." Drell said.

"Della?" Mo asked. "Where is she?"

"She got away, but I'll find her," Drell glared. "I'll find a way to give you back some magic too while I'm at it. I'm not letting my children go without their energy source. Since you're all magical beings, your magic is very important. I guess right now though, we better get Mrs. Brisby home."

They soon heard some bubbling under the mud as the Brisby home started to sink. 

"Oh, no..." The adventure group frowned, feeling like they had failed their adventure.

"Hello, is anybody up there?" Martin's voice soon called out. 

"Martin?" Mrs. Brisby asked as she ran up to the side of her house.

"Mama!" Martin called to her.

"Mother, are we almost moved?" Teresa asked.

"Soon, now..." Mrs. Brisby said before burying her face in her paws in despair until she soon realized something. "It's sinking... It's sinking... Justin, the block! It's sinking!"

This caught everyone's attention.

"What?" Justin asked until he saw the block sinking and jumped into action. "Come on!"

Everyone soon rushed over to help out the Brisbys since this wasn't a happy sight for any of them. The other rats soon swarmed in to the block to continue helping out even if the situation looked hopeless. The Miniforce would have helped if Ratigan wasn't a challenge.

"Now what?" Cherry sulked to Drell.

"There must be a... A cave in below!" Mr. Ages suggested.

Justin soon joined Mrs. Brisby on top of her home "Here, tie these lines together. I'll get a line around the stone," he then suggested. "Brutus, quick, get some rope. Tie off those block-lines. Hurry it up, come on! Move it!"

Drell soon decided to use his magic to help. The Brisby home was then rapidly filling with muck.

"Mother! Mother!" Teresa cried out.

"What's all that black stuff?" Cynthia then asked, seeing the muck.

"Come on, Teresa, get up on the table!" Martin told his older sister before glaring down at his younger sister who had clung to his leg. "Cynthia!"

"What about Timmy?" Teresa frowned.

"Get us out of here!" Martin told her.

"Mother!" Teresa then cried out.

Drell grunted as he began to use his magic to help rise the Brisby home, hoping his magic would be enough. On top of the block, one of the makeshift lines snapped.

Justin used that time to run to the bank to get more rope, leaving Mrs. Brisby on the block alone. "Another line! Get some rope! Hurry!" he then commanded.

"Justin!" Mrs. Brisby called out to the rat.

Justin threw Mrs. Brisby a line as the block had sunk so far that anyone approaching risked being sucked down.

"The children!" Mo panicked. "I've left them on their own! Oh, I'm a terrible babysitter!"

"It's too heavy!" Drell grunted as his magic wasn't holding.

"Come on, Drell!" Cherry cried out.

"I don't think I can hold it much longer!" Drell groaned a bit. "Not even MY magic can help!"

"Then we'll help," Cherry said. "Because we still have one magic left inside us."

"You do?" Drell asked in surprise. "Cherry, I don't know if you should risk it if you have any magic left in you."

Cherry soon held Atticus's hand even if they were just friends before Mo held Atticus's other hand and Patch held Mo's other hand, and where they began to glow the same way that they glowed with the Mane Six.

"Cherry, are you sure about this?" Patch asked.

"It's worth a shot..." Cherry replied. "It's the only magic we have left."

"What about the amulet?" Atticus asked.

"I'm not sure... Come on, guys, let's use the magic of friendship." Cherry said.

"Cherry, is it really you?" Atticus asked since Cherry sounded odd to talk about this sort of thing.

"Yes!" Cherry cried out. "I don't want us to lose our magic!"

"Well, okay." Mo said.

Drell grunted as his grip began to slip a bit.

"Drell, hold on!" Cherry pleaded to him. 

"Can't... Hold on... Much... LONGER!" Drell cried out.

"You can do it, Drell!" Cherry told him.

"I... I don't think I can hold on!" Drell said to her.

"Drell, you are the strongest guy... Uh... One of them, I know!" Cherry told him. "Please! Hold on a bit longer for Mrs. Brisby! Do it for us! Do it for..." she then paused a bit while trying to help motivate him. "Hilda! Do it for Hilda!"

That did it, and where it was holding up the Brisby home until the amulet around Mrs. Brisby's neck started to glow.

Cherry flinched at first before beaming as she gave Drell a pep talk. "I almost had to sing to ya." she then said.

"Were you gonna sing that Gaston song?" Drell rolled his eyes.

"...Maybe?" Cherry replied.

"Cherry..." Atticus said before pointing to Mrs. Brisby's amulet.

Cherry looked over and saw the glowing amulet. "Of course... You guys were right..." she then said as she memorized what Nicodemus said. "Courage of the heart is very rare... The Stone has a power when it's there."

Mrs. Brisby soon held onto the amulet but only for a while before she let it go as it burned.

"Mrs. Brisby?" Patch soon asked in concern.

Mrs. Brisby then tried to hold onto the amulet as she let go of it and soon, a deep power seemed to consume her.

"Elizabeth, I know you are braver than you think you are..." A male familiar voice told the widowed mouse. "I've always believed in you... You're a wonderful mother... A great wife... I miss you every day, and I know you can be as brave as I was for our children and everyone else outside of Thorn Valley."

The rope connecting to the Brisby home soon floated up to Mrs. Brisby. Cherry soon bit on her nails as she didn't know where this was going. Mrs. Brisby soon grabbed the rope and the power of the amulet ran down it into the mud. Soon, the mud was glowing and churning as the block raised up with light streaming from it in all directions, finally floating free above the ground. Mrs. Brisby guided it over to the hole prepared by Drell and the rats, and lowered it into place. 

"I... I don't believe it!" Cherry gasped from what she just saw.

"No!" Ratigan glared.

"I think our magic of friendship should help out against Ratigan." Mo said.

"Do you think it'll really help?" Cherry asked.

"Cherry, if you believe it will, I'm sure it'll help us against Ratigan if anything, even if Della took any other parts of our magic." Atticus comforted in a brotherly voice.

"Besides, friendship is the most powerful magic of all." Patch smiled.

The four soon joined hands together as they all seemed to glow the same colors of their Elements of Harmony. And where they soon ponied-up as they floated in the air. Drell soon looked around before taking a look as he looked proud of the adventure group. Ratigan saw the adventure group and was about to crush them only for their magic of friendship to hit him.

"Take this, you dirty! Low! Vile! Verminous! RAT!" Cherry soon snapped at Ratigan to be rid of him once and for all.

And where he would be rid of once and for all with both the combination of the magic of friendship and the Miniforce's finisher. Ratigan yelled out as he was in a great deal of pain right about now like Jenner had been earlier. He was soon finished off by both attacks.

"Is... Is he... Is Ratigan...?" Cherry asked.

"I don't think you have to worry about him anymore, Cherry." Drell said calmly.

"Whew." Cherry sighed.

"You did a great job though." Drell smiled sincerely.

"Uh... Thank you." Cherry said, a bit bashfully to him.

"But now what do we do?" Mo asked.

"Well, if I were you, I'd check on Mrs. Brisby." Drell pointed out.

"Mrs. Brisby!" The adventure group yelped as they gathered around the widowed mouse who seemed to had passed out in the middle of the ground.

Mrs. Brisby let out a small groan as she woke up, but she wasn't back home, she found herself in a special plain.

"Elizabeth... I'm very proud of you..." A voice spoke to the widowed mouse.

"Jonathan?" Mrs. Brisby asked.


	9. Chapter 9

A male brown mouse soon came out.

"Oh, Jonathan!" Mrs. Brisby cried out before hugging him while crying. "I thought I'd never see you again. I thought you were dead."

"Oh, my dear Elizabeth, I am dead..." Jonathan told his widow, hating to break her heart like that, but it was true. "I wanted to congratulate you and help you back into the world of the living. The children need you after all."

"But if you're dead, then how are you here?" Mrs. Brisby asked. "And where is here?"

"This is the higher plain," Jonathan replied. "It's not your time of course."

"Oh, Jonathan, I miss you so much," Mrs. Brisby said, looking like she was about to cry. "I don't know how I can take care of the children without you. You've always been the braver one between us."

"But today you've shown courage." Jonathan smiled.

"I... I have...?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"Of course you have... With the help of the amulet and Nicodemus," Jonathan smiled to his widow as he wiped away some of her tears. "You've made me so proud."

Mrs. Brisby smiled, happy that she made her husband proud. The two shared a hug, both with tears in their eyes.

"I miss you... And I love you..." Mrs. Brisby told her husband.

"Me too... More than words can say." Jonathan smiled sadly.

'Mrs. Brisby!' Cherry's voice soon called out.

"What... What was that?" Mrs. Brisby asked.

"I believe it's time to wake up, Lizzie." Jonathan said to his widow.

"Wake up? But I don't want to leave you!" Mrs. Brisby frowned.

"I'll always be with you, in here." Jonathan told her as he pointed to her heart.

"Oh... Jonathan..." Mrs. Brisby sniffled a bit.

The two mice nuzzled each other as Mrs. Brisby smiled sadly.

The widowed mouse still had a smile on her face with a tear rolling down her cheek before her eyes began to flutter open to see Atticus, Cherry, Mo, Patch, and Drell surrounding her with the rats and the Miniforce.

"Oh, thank goodness." Mo smiled, happy to see Mrs. Brisby awake.

"You gave us quite a scare, Mrs. Brisby." Drell told the widowed mouse.

"I'm sorry about that," Mrs. Brisby replied softly. "Guess I was just having an episode."

"You really worried us." Justin smiled bashfully.

"We better get your hands bandaged." Drell told Mrs. Brisby.

"Oh, yes, thank you." Mrs. Brisby replied.

The Miniforce smiled to each other before sharing high-fives together as they had another mission accomplished. The others soon came into the Brisby home and Mrs. Brisby was getting her hands bandaged while it was late, so everyone went to go straight to bed after a very exhausting day.

The next day came and where Timmy was waking up. Teresa and Mo soon both bandaged up Mrs. Brisby's hands.

"Mama, I'm tired of bed, I want to get up!" Timmy spoke up.

"Well, you're not getting up." Mrs. Brisby told him, making him sulk.

"Just stay in bed a little longer." Mo added.

"Aww..." Timmy pouted.

"At least he can move around a bit now." Cherry said.

"Yes." Atticus smiled in relief from that.

"Drell, what are we gonna do?" Patch asked. "If you can't use your magic to give us our magic back, what do we do?"

"I'll have to track Della down somehow." Drell replied.

A letter from Enchantra soon appeared before Drell.

"Could you all excuse me for a moment?" Drell asked.

The adventure group nodded as he soon walked off to see what Enchantra wanted this time.

"You gonna be okay, Atticus?" Cherry asked nervously. "I mean... You kinda survived your birth from magic since you were born premature."

"I'm sure I'll be alright." Atticus said.

Cherry gave a small smile while he smiled back.

"Alright, what's up, Enchantra?" Drell asked as he checked his letter to see what it said.

"Drell, please come to the Netherworld with your students; I believe I have a certain witch with me that has somethings that belong to them." Enchantra's letter told him.

"Oh, is that a fact?" Drell smirked as he held onto the letter. "Heheh... We'll be right over. For a second there, I thought we were gonna have to go see Merlin... It's been centuries!" he then made the letter disappear as he went to go see the adventure group as they spent more time with the Brisby family like honorary family members.

"Miss Briz! Oh, Briz!" Jeremy's voice soon called out. "Where are ya?"

"Augh..." Cherry groaned.

"Over here!" Mrs. Brisby called back to him.

"Don't invite him over!" Cherry whined.

"Here it is! I brought the whole mess!" Jeremy beamed as he came over, dumping a whole mess. "There's plenty more where this came from too, I got connections!" he then realized something. "Hey! Your house is moved! Oh, no! What am I gonna do with all this string?"

"Oh, you'll think of something." Patch said.

Mrs. Brisby nodded in agreement from that.

"Ah, what's the use?" Jeremy sighed heavily as he turned and started to walk away with his head down low. "What's a guy like me going to do with a love nest anyway?"

"Aw, Jeremy..." Atticus sighed softly for the clumsy crow. 

"Remember 'klutzy draconequus'? We might have to change that." Cherry smirked.

Then out of nowhere, another crow flew in and where it was a female as she crashed into Jeremy. The others looked over in a bit of surprise.

"Excuse me, pardon me." Jeremy said to the female crow.

"Excuse me, pardon me." The female crow replied.

"Look, Mommy! Another turkey!" Cynthia pointed out as she crept closer to the grass for a better look.

"Why does she think that a crow is a turkey?" Cherry asked.

"Let her alone, she's just a little girl." Mo replied.

"Fair enough." Cherry shrugged.

"Stay right there," Jeremy told the female crow before exploding out of the grass, sending Cynthia running for cover as he came to the widowed mouse hopefully. "Miss Briz! Miss Briz! Lemme have the sparkly! I gotta have the sparkly! Miss B, I gotta have it! Girls can't resist a sparkly, oh, please! Pleeeeeeese!"

"She gave it to Justin who is the leader of the rats." Patch told him.

"Yes, I did." Mrs. Brisby nodded to that.

"The leader of the rats?!" Jeremy yelped to the widowed mouse. "How could you do this to me? What'll I say? Guys, what'll I do?"

"Well, just be, um..." Mrs. Brisby paused.

"Athletic!" Atticus spoke up.

"Yes, athletic." Mrs. Brisby then added.

"Ah! That's right! Athletic! I'll just be a little--AAUUGHHH!" Jeremy said as he soon ran, but tripped over Cynthia, vanishing back into the grasses.

Mo soon walked over to see how Jeremy was. Cynthia went with her and they both soon heard some laughter. They peered out together and found that Jeremy and the female crow were both completely tangled in his string, and laughing their heads off.

"They seem to be having fun." Mo whispered.

"Are they gonna live happily ever after, Mo?" Cynthia asked.

"Perhaps, Cynthia." Mo smiled to the young mouse.

Mo and Cynthia soon went back to Mrs. Brisby.

"Mother, did the rats really go to Thorn Valley?" Teresa asked.

"Yes, they did." Mrs. Brisby nodded.

"Will we ever see them?" Martin asked.

"Perhaps." Cherry shrugged.

"Today." Cynthia smiled.

"No," Mrs. Brisby laughed. "When you're older."

"Brisby!" Auntie Shrew's voice called out.

"Oh! Auntie Shrew!" Teresa realized.

"Oh, Auntie!" Cynthia called out.

"Oh, no." Martin groaned.

"Great." Cherry added sarcastically.

Jeremy and his new girlfriend soon flew off together to live happily ever after on their own.

"You're almost better, Timmy, I just know it." Mo smiled to the mouse boy who was in bed.

"Well, I hope I get better soon." Timmy said.

"I'm sure you will," Mo smiled. "I sense great things in your life later on. Maybe you'll meet a cute girl."

"Eww! Girls are gross!" Timmy groaned. "Except for maybe you."

"Trust me, as you get older you'll learn to like girls." Mo smiled.

"Hmm..." Timmy didn't look too sure about that.

"All right, guys, I think it's time I took you home." Drell told Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch.

"Can we come back for another visit?" Patch asked.

"Hmm... I dunno..." Drell replied. "I'd have to check. I'm not sure what other adventures you could have here."

"Maybe one with Timmy?" Atticus suggested.

"Hah! That's a good one," Drell chuckled. "Come on, let's get to the Netherworld."

"You never know," Cherry said. "Wait. I thought you said we were going home?"

"Oh, you will, but first, you all need to accept a little gift," Drell replied. "Cherry, I'm really proud of your bravery and adventurous behavior throughout this visit. You've really grown as a person, especially with your Element of Empathy, and how you helped Mrs. Brisby and not to mention when Kimba helped you keep your dream-bending magic safe from Della."

Cherry smiled proudly, happy to hear that Drell was proud of her.

"Come on, let's get going," Drell replied. "I promise, this visit to the Netherworld will be worth your while."

The group soon followed him into a portal and as they went through it, they began to fly out and end up in the middle of the floor since they had come out of the book that was The Secret of NIMH that Della had given Cherry.

"Oh, that's right," Drell said as they were back in their human forms, though not the same for Patch as he was a dog again. "I nearly forgot we were in a book all this time."

"Somehow we always tend to forget that." Mo said.

Drell soon closed the book and decided to collect it. "Cherry, I think I should hold onto this book until further notice." he then said.

"Aww!" Cherry groaned. "Don't take my book away!"

"And now... To the Other Realm!" Drell soon told them.

They soon went off to the Netherworld.

"Are we in trouble?" Cherry asked Drell. "You just said you were so proud of me."

"I am, Cherry, you're not in trouble," Drell said softly to calm her down. "Enchantra has something you all should get back."

"Ooh." Atticus smiled.

They soon went into the closet and Drell shut the door behind them, cuing the thunder and lightning.

"Ugh, I hate it when it does that." Patch groaned from the thunder.

"Aww... Spot afraid of a little thunder?" Cherry smirked.

"Ha, ha, very funny." Patch rolled his eyes.

They soon came into the marketplace of the Netherworld.

"Enchantra." Drell greeted.

"Drell." Enchantra replied, having a certain witch in magical handcuffs.

"Della." The adventure group glared.

"I believe you have something that belongs to my children." Drell also glared.

The group looked to him for that.

"Students!" Drell then covered up. "My students."

"Della, give back what belongs to them." Enchantra told the evil witch.

Della growled and she soon hit the adventure group, restoring them all of their power. Their Equestrian medallions soon glowed and they all sighed in relief as they looked happier and healthier now.

"Can I go now?" Della glared.

"I think not," Drell replied. "I think it's time that Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch see what happens whenever a witch or a warlock break rules such as this. I believe you're familiar with what's become of Salem Saberhagen."

"Oh, no..." Della gulped.

"Oh, yes..." Drell replied, looking very angry.

The group was soon shown in what appeared to be like a courtroom scene with Della standing in the center of the room with a ball and chain around her ankle, and there was a big guy beside her who looked like an Executioner with a mask, holding onto a wand that had a cat head on it.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" A witch judge announced, reading from a scroll. "We stand by here today of the people vs Della Plotsworth, who has not only deceived ALL of us for centuries, but has also tried to drain Atticus Fudo, his familiar Patch, and Monique Brown and Cherry Butler of their magic, and to get rid of Drell to take his job in the Witch's Council. The sentence: 100 years as a cat--"

Drell whispered something extra from that.

"And to be banished from the Netherworld!" The witch judge then added.

"What?!" Della gasped.

"I never want to see her again as long as she shall live," Drell glared to the witch judge. "Make it 200 years! Make it 300 years! Make it 100,000 years!"

Hilda ran up to him to try to calm him down a little, though he had every right to be angry. The witch judge began to bang the gavel for order so then she would make the decision on how long Della would be a familiar.

"Aaaugh!" Drell called out.

Hilda slapped his face a bit. "Keep it together!" she then told him.

"Sorry, Hilda." Drell mumbled, rubbing his cheek, though it didn't hurt him that much.

"She shall be a familiar... For 300 years." The witch judge soon decided.

"But that Salem Saberhagen only got 100 years and he tried to take over the world!" Della cried out.

"Yes, but he never tried to drain others of their magic or life force." The witch judge reminded.

"Yeah, I'm not as bad as the Sanderson sisters." Salem commented.

"Shh!" Hilda and Zelda shushed him.

"I'm sorry, Della, but you've forced us," The witch judge told her. "Has the jury reached a verdict?" 

"Guilty!" Atticus, Cherry, Mo, and Patch soon replied.

"Subtle." Drell muttered.

Cherry grinned sheepishly a bit.

"Della Plotsworth, you are hereby to become a familiar for 300 years... Banished from the Netherworld and the Supernatural Realm..." The witch judge said, banging her gavel.

The man behind Della soon took out the cat wand and came to shoot it at her to change her form.

"You can't catch me!" Della cried out, trying to run from that, but stumbled from the chains.

"Oh, wow," Drell smirked. "That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. Not even Cherry's that bad in gym."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?" Cherry asked.

"...Yes," Drell replied. "Insult for her, compliment for you."

"Thought so." Atticus smiled.

The guy soon hit Della. Della let out yells which soon turned into yowls as she seemed to shrink and was buried in her clothes which were scattered on the floor. She soon poked her head out, looking like a fluffy white cat before ducking in her clothes to hide.

"Now... I think you'll need a new home... But I wonder where to send you?" Drell smirked, leaning over and picking her up by her scruff off of the floor. "Hmm... Where would be the perfect place for you?"

"Your sister's?" Cherry replied.

"She lives in this realm, Cherry." Drell reminded.

"Oh, right... I forgot..." Cherry replied before smirking. "How 'bout the pound?"

"She still talks, remember?" Mo reminded.

"Augh! I don't know!" Cherry groaned, leaning in her seat.

"Eh... Let's see what happens..." Drell said before covering his eyes with his hand, zapping Della suddenly away somewhere before removing his hand to see her now gone.

"So, where is she now?" Atticus asked.

"I don't know myself," Drell replied. "I did the Blindfold Teleportation spell, that's when you send something away somewhere without looking at your target, and they end up any place at random. She could be just about anywhere, but as a cat without any magic, I doubt we'll have to worry about her for a while."

"Whew." The adventure group sighed.

"Also, I think you guys could use a little field trip." Drell smiled to them.

"Uh...?" Cherry replied.

"Do you remember a place called Hilwood?" Drell asked.

The group paused as that name didn't ring any bells.

"You saved their neighborhood." Drell prompted.

"Ohh!" Atticus, Cherry, and Patch now knew.

"That's where Arnold lives!" Atticus smiled in memory. 

"Arnold who?" Mo paused a bit.

"Arnold... Uh..." Atticus said before looking stumped briefly. "...I forget his last name."

"Guess we should have asked his last name." Patch said.

"So, we gonna visit?" Cherry asked. "Hang out at the boarding house? Babysit someone?"

"Actually... It involves a certain journal..." Drell said.

"A journal?" Cherry then asked. "You mean when his grandfather read it to us about Arnold's parents and we found a map in the last couple of pages?"

"Yes," Drell replied. "It's time to find Arnold's parents."

"Is it like that time when you assigned me with that picture of Tails as a baby with his parents?" Atticus asked him.

"Yes," Drell replied. "Arnold's parents are also stuck where they are and need help, and Arnold has to find them with that map."

"What can we do to help?" Cherry asked.

"I'll explain more when I come to get you," Drell soon said. "This might be a very important mission for you guys. It's bringing another family back together that had been long apart from each other."

"Though... I kind of wish we could've brought Mr. Brisby back for Mrs. Brisby." Cherry said softly.

"I'm sad to say that Mr. Brisby can't be brought back like Applejack's parents." Drell frowned.

The adventure group all frowned to each other as that sounded very sad since Jonathan clearly meant a lot to Mrs. Brisby.

"Come on," Drell told them. "Let's get you guys back home."

"Agreed." The adventure group said.

Drell soon went to bring the group back home and they found themselves on the couch in Cherry's living room as they were now back home, and they all collapsed from slight exhaustion.

"That was such a big adventure..." Atticus said. "I think I could use a nap."

"You're not the only one..." Patch replied.

They then met in the kitchen to see that Cherry's parents had left cookies for all of them.


	10. Chapter 10

"So... Arnold's parents..." Atticus commented.

"Well, that explains that dream I saw about them last week." Cherry replied as she bit into her cookie.

"Yep." Atticus said.

"Should be interesting," Cherry said. "We've helped that kid out before."

"Yeah... Saving the neighborhood..." Patch smiled in memory before pondering. "You think Arnold and Helga started seeing each other differently after Helga revealed her feelings when she tried to be Deep Voice?"

"They're kids, so I don't think so." Cherry shrugged.

"Yeah, it'll take more than just one adventure." Atticus said.

"Couldn't help but think of it," Patch replied. "Mm... Tastes like your mom used some of Willy Wonka's dog-safe chocolate chips, Cherry."

"Yeah, Willy's pretty great." Cherry had to admit.

"Yep, he sure is." Atticus nodded.

"When can we all hang out with him?" Mo asked, referring to Willy Wonka.

"Well... He's planning on visiting his old friend that has a special place for kids," Cherry replied. "His name is Mr. Magorium."

"Ooh." Patch smiled.

"If you guys want, I mean," Cherry smirked. "You could bring JJ along... Maybe even little cousin Dot... And check out his Wonder Emporium!"

"Sounds good." Atticus smiled.

"If you're, ya know, cool enough." Cherry said.

"Well, you can tell Willy that we're cool enough," Mo smirked a bit. "I just wonder when we'll get to go since it looks like we're going to... Uh..." she then looked to Atticus. "Where was that map to that Arnold had from his parents again?"

"San Lorenzo." Atticus replied.

"I just wonder when we'll get to go since it looks like we're going to San Lorenzo." Mo then finished her thought.

"Who knows?" Cherry shrugged.

"Yeah, that's true," Atticus replied. "Adventures are quite unpredictable. I just really hope we can help Arnold get his parents back. I'm sure he misses them a lot."

"Yeah... They've missed about nine years of family bonding." Patch said softly.

"Nine years? Whoa..." Mo replied. "Even though my parents died when I was very young, I can't imagine if they were separated from me for nearly my whole life, and I didn't know where they were."

"Well, luckily Arnold will be able to be reunited with them." Patch smiled.

"Do you think so?" Cherry asked.

"I definitely hope so." Patch replied.

"I know so." Atticus smiled.

"We'll see... I just wonder where Della ended up?" Cherry commented.

"I hope it's far away from Greendale as possible." Patch said.

"Yeah!" The others agreed to that.

Speaking of which, Della was soon shown to be wandering the streets, huffing to herself about her defeat. "I was SO close!" she then snapped. "Those meddling kids had to ruin all of my plans. Especially that dumb dog, Patch!"

"Ah, yes... I'm angry with a dog myself..." A voice seemed to smirk from hiding in the alley that Della ended up in.

"Who said that?" Della asked. "Who's there?"

"I'd like revenge against a dog myself..." The voice smirked.

"Come on out," Della demanded. "I mean it."

Eventually, a hairless cat soon appeared, holding onto a mouse, stroking it in her paws.

"Who... Who are you?" Della asked.

"They call me Kitty," The cat grinned darkly. "Kitty Galore."

"Something tells me you and I are going to get along." Della smirked.

"Come right this way then," Kitty smirked back. "Into my trailer."

They soon both came into a trailer which had some magic show props in it such as a magic wand, a top hat, and a deck of cards.

"Something tells me you live with a mortal magician." Della said.

"Yes... I do..." Kitty rolled her eyes at her human. "It's a very long story... I was once a great agent for M.E.O.W.S."

"Never heard of it." Della commented.

"Mousers Enforcing Our World's Safety," Kitty explained. "We were an agency to protect the world's humans from D.O.G.S. which is The Canine Intelligence Service."

"This just piqued my interest." Della smirked.

"I thought it might," Kitty smirked back. "Welcome to the dark side... Um... What do they call you?"

"The name is Della," The former witch replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kitty." 

"The pleasure is all mine." Kitty said.

The two went into the trailer together to plot their revenge against their greatest enemies which would be another story.

Back home, Patch shook a bit.

"You okay, Patch?" Atticus asked his dog.

"Just got a chill down my spine." Patch replied. 

"That's never a good thing." Atticus said.

"Tell me about it," Patch pouted, flopping down in the middle of the floor on all fours. "Hopefully Arnold or this Mr. Magorium guy will be a decent distraction."

Atticus soon gave his dog a biscuit to help calm him down a little bit. Luckily, that seemed to do the trick. 

"Better?" Atticus smiled.

"Mm... I guess so..." Patch gave a smile back, unable to keep a frown from eating a biscuit.

"That's good." Atticus smiled.

"So... You think we'll be ready to find Arnold's parents?" Patch asked.

"I've wanted to since we found out what happened to them when Phil read us Arnold's dad's journal." Atticus said bravely as always.

"Well, we'll have to see then." Patch said.

Atticus and Patch nodded together as they decided to go to sleep right away since the adventure with NIMH was quite the intense and exciting one, but little did they know, they would see the Brisby family again. Someday, but no one knew when.

The End


End file.
